Major progress is taking shape in setting up the Otjiwarongo Biomass Power Plant.

This was confirmed by Otjiwarongo Municipality's Economic Development Manager, Petros Kuteeue, during a courtesy call to Otjozondjupa Regional Governor, James Uerikua, with the German delegation on biomass and renewable energy.

Kuteeue says despite previous delays, progress has been made ahead of the commissioning at the 93-hectare Biomass Industrial Park, where tonnes of wood chips, charcoal, char briquettes, biofuel, and biochar will be produced.

"We have Otjiwarongo Extension 9, which is a piece of land measuring 93 hectares, where we want to roll out this idea of the BIP project. And you might be aware that the other two projects will also be done in the Otjiwarongo municipality, which are the waste-to-energy project and the wastewater treatment plant. The idea is to like, what we are looking at is how we can implement these three projects as a secular economy project so that there is synergy between these three projects."

Kuteeue also revealed that foreign funding of an undisclosed amount has been secured for the pilot project to kick-start the biomass project in September this year."

The German delegation expressed that if the Biomass Project proves successful, it will give employment opportunities and value to Namibian products to be manufactured at the plant.

The project is expected to be commissioned next year.