Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station Explained

Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station
Location Map:Namibia
Coordinates:-17.3989°N 14.2214°W
Country:Namibia
Location:Ruacana, Omusati Region
Purpose:P
Status:O
Opening:1978 & 2012
Cost:ZAR 162 million
Operator:NamPower
Dam Crosses:Kunene River
Plant Name:Ruacana Power Station
Plant Turbines:Francis-type
3 x 85MW
1 x 92MW
Plant Capacity:347MW

The Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power plant across the Kunene River near Ruacana in northwest Namibia, close to the Angolan border. Commissioned in 1978, it is by far the largest power station in Namibia. Its operator is NamPower, the Namibian national electric power utility company.

Location

The power station is located near the town of Ruacana, in the Omusati Region of Namibia, adjacent to the international border with Angola.[1] The power station is situated 757km (470miles), by road, northwest of Windhoek, the capital and largest city of Namibia. The power station is operated by NamPower.[2]

Overview

As of May 2020, Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station is the largest electricity generating station in Namibia. It accounts for approximately 50 percent of the country's generation capacity.[3]

The first three 80 MW Francis turbine-generators were commissioned in 1978. In 2012, the three original turbines were tweaked to generate a maximum of 85 megawatts each. A fourth turbine with 92 megawatts capacity was also installed that year, bringing the station's generation capacity to 347MW. The fourth Francis turbine-generator was built by Alstom, Andritz Hydro and Concor and commissioned on 5 April 2012.[4] The power station is located underground near the bottom of the falls.[1]

Water Source

Water for the power station is stored in the Calueque Dam approximately 24km (15miles) upstream of the Ruacana Falls along the Kunene River in Calueque, Angola. Several dams upstream help regulate the Kunene River to help the power station operate more efficiently. Further upstream is the Gove Dam in west-central Angola, while the Olushandja Dam - on a tributary of the Kunene River, the Etaka River - is in Namibia.[5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Profile of Ruacana Power Station, Namibia . 6 May 2020 . . 6 May 2020 . NamPower . Windhoek.
  2. Web site: Namibia: Country Commercial Guide: Energy . . 29 August 2020 . International Trade Administration . 12 April 2021 . Washington, DC, United States.
  3. Web site: Namibia: NamPower boosts Ruacana Power Station . ESI-Africa . 11 October 2016 . ESI-Africa . 6 May 2020 . Rondebosch, South Africa.
  4. Web site: Ruacana fourth turbine commissioned . . 6 April 2012 . Catherine Sasman . 6 May 2020 . Windhoek.
  5. News: P. Saundry & C. Cleveland . C. Michael Hogan . Kunene River . Washington, DC . Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment.