Construction on the Otjikoto Biomass project is gaining steam, with the project already passing the halfway mark.
The project construction, which commenced in August 2025, is expected to be completed by December 2027.
The 40 Megawatts (MW) Otjikoto Biomass Power Station is set to provide reliable, baseload electricity, strengthening Namibia's energy security and reducing reliance on electricity imports.
NamPower Senior Engineer Tangeni Tshivute says the project will use encroacher bush as fuel, converting one of Namibia's major environmental and agricultural challenges into a valuable energy resource.
"Nampower has six power stations under construction; the Otjikoto Bio mass is only one of them and is the one here in Tsumeb. As NamPower builds our power projects, we have several all over the country; currently we have roughly six, five of which were just finished from 2020 to 2025. NamPower added 190 megawatts onto our system, because we know that NamPower imports some electricity, and we are trying to reduce our reliance on imports, and by reducing our reliance, we want to build our own power stations and employ our own people."
The project is expected to have benefits beyond electricity, which will include benefits to the agricultural, logistics and transport sectors.
The Director at Procurement Employment, Xiong Chao, said, "We will continue to provide job opportunities and local procurement opportunities for community members so that people can benefit from this project. We will do safety construction and clean the environment and operate responsibly."
Employment Officer in the Ministry of Labour, Odin Imwaka, is urging the community of the Oshikoto Region to register on the NIES employment placement system.
"The NIES system is basically a digitalised system that enables jobs seekers to apply for vacancies that are online because on this same platform, that is where the employers get to advertise their vacancies. So in that way we as the Ministry of Labour are trying to bring together the job seekers and employers, and the system is free; this system is very user-friendly; the ministry has placed so many people since it was established."
The project is funded by the French Development Agency, the Mitigation Action Facility and the Namibian Government.