Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station

The Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power plant near Ruacana in northwest Namibia, close to the Angolan border.[1]

Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station
Location of Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station in Namibia
Country	Namibia
Location	Ruacana, Ruacana Constituency, Omusati Region
Coordinates	17°23′56″S 14°13′17″E
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Opening date	1978 & 2012
Construction cost	ZAR:162 million
Operator(s)	NamPower
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Kunene River
Ruacana Power Station
Turbines	Francis-type 3 x 85 MW (114,000 hp) 1 x 92 MW (123,000 hp)
Installed capacity	347 MW (465,000 hp)

Location

The power station is located near the town of Ruacana, across the Kunene River, in the Omusati Region of Namibia, adjacent to the international border with Angola. This is approximately 757 kilometres (470 mi), by road, northwest of Windhoek, the capital and largest city of Namibia.[2] The geographical coordinates of Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station are:17°23'56.0"S, 14°13'17.0"E (Latitude:-17.398889; Longitude:14.221389).[3]

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.[4]

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 stations generation capacity to 347 megawatts (465,335 hp). The fourth Francis turbine-generator was built by Alstom, Andritz Hydro and Concor and commissioned on 5 April 2012.[5] The power station is located underground near the bottom of the falls. The power station is operated by Namibia's national power utility company, NamPower.[1]

Water Source

Water for the power station is stored in a dam just above the Ruacana Falls along the Kunene River in Angola. Several dams upstream help regulate the Cunene River to help the power station operate more efficiently. The Calueque Dam in Calueque, Angola is under construction. Further up is the Gove Dam in west-central Angola and the Olushandja Dam, on the tributary, Etaka River, is in Namibia.[6]

See also

• List of power stations in Namibia

References

1. NamPower (6 May 2020). "Profile of Ruacana Power Station, Namibia". Windhoek: NamPower. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
2. Google (6 May 2020). "Distance Between Windhoek And Ruacana In Namibia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
3. Google (6 May 2020). "Location of Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
4. ESI-Africa (11 October 2016). "Namibia: NamPower boosts Ruacana Power Station". Rondebosch, South Africa: ESI-Africa. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
5. Catherine Sasman (6 April 2012). "Ruacana fourth turbine commissioned". The Namibian. Windhoek. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
6. C. Michael Hogan. P. Saundry & C. Cleveland (ed.). "Kunene River". Washington, DC: Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment.

External links

• Kunene River Awareness Kit As of 2010.