In the heart of the arid Namib Desert, a pivotal infrastructure project is setting new benchmarks in the face of Southern Africa’s persistent water scarcity. The Erongo Desalination Plant (EDP), Southern Africa’s largest reverse osmosis facility, has announced a record production year for 2025, underscoring its critical role in unlocking industrial and urban growth in Namibia.
Located 35 km north of Swakopmund, the plant delivered 17.59 million cubic meters of potable water in 2025—a 14 percent increase from the previous year. Owner Orano Mining Namibia, in a year-end performance report released Friday, framed this surge as a direct response to the booming demand from Namibia’s industrial sector, particularly uranium mining.
“This year-on-year continuous growth demonstrates the EDP’s ability to grow with the increase in demand in the Erongo Region,” Orano stated. It also confirms the plant’s operational readiness to meet its current licensed capacity of 22.5 million cubic meters annually.
The EDP is far more than a piece of industrial equipment; it is a foundational utility sustaining life and the economy in one of the world’s driest regions. It provides a reliable water buffer against crippling droughts, directly supplying several major uranium mines operated by Orano and others, as well as coastal municipalities that would otherwise struggle to secure water.
Further milestones highlighted for 2025 include celebrating 15 years of operation without a single lost-time injury, achieved in June, and setting a new daily production record of 63,381 cubic meters on June 17.
With demand poised to soar further from new mining investments and related urban expansion, Orano confirmed that the plant is preparing to scale up significantly. Engineering teams are actively planning to expand the facility to its full original design capacity of 45 million cubic meters per year, more than double its current output.
“The EDP is ready to increase water supply to Namibia’s state-owned NamWater as demand in the Erongo Region increases,” Orano affirmed, positioning the desalination plant as a strategic asset for national development. This expansion plan signals a long-term commitment to transforming water scarcity from a barrier into a catalyst for sustained economic growth in Southern Africa.
