The plan to connect Namibia to Botswana by rail is becoming real after the Trans-Kalahari Railway Project Management Office’s call for expression of interest attracted 12 bids.
Dubbed the Maputo-Walvis Bay Corridor, the project involves rehabilitating the TransNamib line from Gobabis via the capital, Windhoek, to serve the new port at Walvis Bay.
Besides expanding freight capacity within the Sadc, the TransKalahari project will provide access to global markets for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The TransKalahari Railway will transport fuel, iron ore, copper, and coal to and from overseas markets.
Botswana and Namibia signed the agreement to build the Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR), a 1500km heavy-haul line linking Botswana’s coalfields with the existing railhead at Gobabis in March 2014.
The estimated construction costs were N$100bn ($S$9.2bn).
The then National Planning Commission director general Tom Alweendo and Botswana’s minister of minerals, energy and water Onkokame Kitso Mokaila signed the agreement at Walvis Bay.
Seven foreign companies – NGE Contracting from France, Egypt’s Orascom Construction, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Lesedi Nehawu Investment JV from South Africa, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited from India, Trans-Kalahari Railway Initiative Consortium – a Namibia-South Africa collaboration, Nations Capital Projects PTY (LTD) and Seven Five Investments CC, both from South Africa – want in on the project.
Helo Group, West Coast Energy, Fullbright Investment, Grindrod and Mega North Holdings are local companies that submitted bids.
The TransKalahari Railway Project wants suitable partners to fund and develop or upgrade the existing rail infrastructure and construct a new 1,500-kilometre line between Botswana and Namibia.
The winning bidder will construct loading facilities at Mmamabula in Botswana, build the railway line and upgrade existing railway infrastructure from Mmamabula to Walvis Bay in Namibia.
TransNamib acting CEO Webster Gonzo told Zawya Projects last month that if the rail connects to Botswana, it will be easy to connect to South Africa and further northwards to the African hinterland.
Gonzo added that this fertile agricultural land can be a ready market for the green ammonia produced in Namibia.
