Tsumkwe power line nears completion
The overhead power line will see more than 500 households in and around the community receive access to electricity.
ESTER KAMATI
TSUMKWE
The Central Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored) last week had a site visit to measure progress in a N$35 million project to erect a 117 km power line stretching between Mangetti Dune and Maroelaboom in the Tsumkwe constituency.
This overhead power line will see more than 500 households in and around the community receive access to electricity. This will include healthcare facilities in the area, police stations and schools.
Cenored executive for engineering and network expansion Silvester Wayiti shared that there has so far been sufficient progress in the project, which is funded by ministry of mines and energy through its National Energy Fund, and by November, the distributor expects to switch on lights in the area for the first time.
So far, 30 individuals in the community have been contracted by Cenored and have been involved in de-bushing as well as assisting with soft technical skills.
“The focus was really also to ensure that we empower these locals in terms of direct employment on the project,” Wayiti said.
Progress
Planning, design and material procurement had already commenced in November 2020, while engineers have only been on site since May this year. The process of environmental clearance with the environment ministry also took place and had to be factored in from November 2020 to May.
During the progress review of the construction, Wayiti said 50 km of the line has already been de-bushed and about 45 km is already strung, which means that the poles have already been erected and installed.
Another 8 km has been de-bushed and poles laid along the route, waiting for the technical team to plant them and install the wiring.
Wayiti added that it takes some time in terms of planning, “but once we hit the ground to install, it will go pretty fast”.
“We intend to finish the installation up to Mangetti come November and we hope that we will come again and celebrate the granting of access to electricity by our people in the Tsumkwe West area.”
The team has been challenged mainly by distance as the site is about 140 km from Grootfontein, the nearest town for fuel supply. This is also one of the biggest projects Cenored has undertaken with its internal construction teams.
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TSUMKWE
The Central Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored) last week had a site visit to measure progress in a N$35 million project to erect a 117 km power line stretching between Mangetti Dune and Maroelaboom in the Tsumkwe constituency.
This overhead power line will see more than 500 households in and around the community receive access to electricity. This will include healthcare facilities in the area, police stations and schools.
Cenored executive for engineering and network expansion Silvester Wayiti shared that there has so far been sufficient progress in the project, which is funded by ministry of mines and energy through its National Energy Fund, and by November, the distributor expects to switch on lights in the area for the first time.
So far, 30 individuals in the community have been contracted by Cenored and have been involved in de-bushing as well as assisting with soft technical skills.
“The focus was really also to ensure that we empower these locals in terms of direct employment on the project,” Wayiti said.
Progress
Planning, design and material procurement had already commenced in November 2020, while engineers have only been on site since May this year. The process of environmental clearance with the environment ministry also took place and had to be factored in from November 2020 to May.
During the progress review of the construction, Wayiti said 50 km of the line has already been de-bushed and about 45 km is already strung, which means that the poles have already been erected and installed.
Another 8 km has been de-bushed and poles laid along the route, waiting for the technical team to plant them and install the wiring.
Wayiti added that it takes some time in terms of planning, “but once we hit the ground to install, it will go pretty fast”.
“We intend to finish the installation up to Mangetti come November and we hope that we will come again and celebrate the granting of access to electricity by our people in the Tsumkwe West area.”
The team has been challenged mainly by distance as the site is about 140 km from Grootfontein, the nearest town for fuel supply. This is also one of the biggest projects Cenored has undertaken with its internal construction teams.
[email protected]
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