Namibia Chooses Revolutionary Nuclear Technology to Power Major Walvis Bay Oil Refinery
In a groundbreaking move that could reshape Southern Africa’s energy landscape, Namibia has selected cutting-edge South African nuclear technology to power a massive new oil refinery at Walvis Bay, marking the continent’s first nuclear-powered petroleum facility.
The ambitious project, spearheaded by Dune 7 Special Purpose Vehicle with full government backing, will feature a 300,000 barrels per stream day capacity refinery powered by the revolutionary HTMR-100 High Temperature Modular Reactor developed by Pretoria-based Stratek Global.
Walvis Bay Town Council has conditionally approved the allocation of Portion 46, a sprawling 305-hectare industrial site, for the facility’s construction, pending environmental clearance and regulatory approvals. The refinery will anchor a comprehensive Green Energy Complex that includes a 4,000-cubic-metre-per-day desalination plant.
The HTMR-100 reactor offers game-changing advantages for arid environments, eliminating the need for large water bodies traditionally required for nuclear cooling systems. Dr. Kelvin Kemm, Chairman of Stratek Global, noted the technology’s scalability allows up to ten small reactors on a single site with flexibility to expand as energy demand grows.
Olivia Vaughan, Director of Commercial Affairs at Stratek Global, highlighted Namibia’s strategic positioning within SADC to supply refined products across the region. The project promises to dramatically reduce Namibia’s dependency on imported fuels while enabling value-added processing of domestic natural resources.
Source: angolanminingoilandgas.com
