Staff Reporter
THE Erongo Desalination Plant (EDP) achieved a record production year in 2025, delivering 17.59 million m³ of water to the Erongo Region, marking a 14% increase compared to 2024. The milestone underscores the plant’s capacity to meet rising regional demand and its proven track record in supplying reliable potable water.
Orano Mining Namibia, owner of the EDP, highlighted several other achievements during the year. The plant marked 15 years of operation without a single Lost Time Injury (LTI) in June 2025. A new daily production record of 63,381 m³ (63.3 million litres) was set on 17 June, equivalent to 44,015 litres per minute or 734 litres per second.
Water from the EDP is supplied to NamWater, ensuring availability for industries, municipalities, and rural communities in the Erongo Region. The plant’s designed full capacity is 45 million m³ per year, and plans are underway to expand output in line with growing industrial and urban demand.
In 2025, the EDP integrated solar power from the Trekkopje Solar Plant, which supplied 7,000,000 kWh, reducing costs by N$4 million (around 60 cents per m³) and lowering water prices by 2% over the year. Additionally, the plant launched a pilot project to test a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) system for managing sulphur outbreaks, as part of its continuous improvement program.
Energy efficiency remains a key focus, with the EDP utilising an energy recovery system to harness pressure from the reverse osmosis brine stream and conducting power optimisation exercises. The Sorexa Solar Project, developed under a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement, will supply up to 30% of the plant’s electricity needs, with the remainder sourced from NamPower.
Photo: Orano Mining Namibia
