Namibia and Botswana Join Forces for Joint Oil Refinery to Move Towards Energy Independence

A new change will occur in the Southern African energy landscape. Namibia and Botswana decided to join an energy collaboration and make history.

The two are willing to build an oil refinery and run it with joint ownership. This collaboration will not only help improve the relationship between the governments and boost communication but will also reduce dependency on imported refined petroleum products.

A Meeting Between Presidents

A visit to Gaborone took place recently, where Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Namibian President, and Duma Boko, the President of Botswana, met and discussed their plans for the future of the region’s energy reliance.

The two reaffirmed that they want to promote energy integration in the area using suitable infrastructure projects. A jointly owned oil refinery will be established.

According to The Namibian, this decision was one of the main points discussed during the president’s visit to Gaborone where she met President Duma Boko. This would boost energy security and allow the region to decrease its dependence on imports.

The office of the Namibian president released a statement: “The two leaders agreed that bridging the gap between the ‘haves and the have-nots’ and the fight against poverty through job creation required urgent and concrete programs and projects to be implemented by both countries.”

Location and Capacity

At the moment, the proposed location is near the border between Namibia and Botswana. This would make it easier to have access to logistics and ensure infrastructure connectivity.

Some areas are currently being assessed, such as Ghanzi in Botswana and Walvis Bay in Namibia. The decisions will be made after the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and stakeholder consultations are complete.

A first look at the plans reveals that the suggested capacity of the refinery will be between 60,000 and 100,000 barrels per day.

Impact on the Environment

Environmental impact is one of the main things taken into account regarding the new oil refinery. Because the entire world is trying to adopt more sustainable practices, the project will also implement modern refining techniques.

Both Namibia and Botswana agreed to adhere to any international environmental standard that is required. Moreover, they decided to talk to the affected communities.

The technologies used at the new refinery will help reduce carbon emissions and potential damage to the environment. A provision even aims to integrate renewable energy sources into the operations of the new facility. This will help reduce the carbon footprint.

Reducing Diamond Dependency

Both countries are renowned for producing diamonds in Africa, but they have agreed to try to decrease their economic dependence on this resource. They will look into strategies to decrease this dependency even though this field has underpinned the countries’ national revenues over the years.

Because the global demand for natural diamonds is going down, this is an achievable goal. Besides, there is an increase in lab-grown diamond alternatives.

Following production cuts in recent years, the two countries are looking for ways to focus on regional collaboration and diversification to remain stable.