Chinese Government provides N$370 million grant for Satellite Data Receiving Ground Station (SDRGS) Project

During the Government of Namibia’s 2018/2019 Financial Year, the Chinese Government and the Government of Namibia signed an N$370 million grant agreement for the Satellite Data Receiving Ground Station (SDRGS) Project. It is unclear whether these funds have been disbursed. The purpose of the project is to construct a Satellite Data Receiving Ground Station (SDRGS) at the current location of the Telecom Earth Station right outside of the capital city of Windhoek. The station will include an antenna feed subsystem, channel subsystem, data recording and transmission subsystem and control subsystem. The confirmed project site is situated at 22039’13.54”S, 1703.34’90”E. The satellite dish will be situated on top of the mountain, not far from the Telecom Earth Station buildings. The site for the satellite dish measures approximately 500 m² in extent (20 m x 25 m). The SDRGS is expected to facilitate the collection remote sensing satellite data for research, decision-making and management purposes on Namibia’s environmental conditions and resources distribution. More specifically, it is expected to provide data for: (a) Disaster risk management; (b) Vegetation and rangeland monitoring; (c) Land cover and land use planning; (d) Agricultural management and monitoring; (e) Water management and monitoring; (f) Fire and drought management and monitoring; (g) Coastline (including border) monitoring; and (h) Phytoplankton and/or Sulphur blooms management; (i) Mineral exploration and marine spatial planning; and (j) Coastal surveillance and monitoring (of illegal fishing and pollution, including monitoring of oil spills). The project will be implemented through Namibia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Technology & Innovation (MHETI). Another component of the project involves the provision of technical training to 10 local engineers and send experts to Namibia for joint research and development. A project feasibility study was conducted in February 2018. Then, on November 25, 2019, a team conducted a site visit. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was undertaken in July 2020. Then, in October 2021, a group of Chinese experts conducted an on-site project investigation. Construction was originally expected to start in 2022. However, as of August 2022, AidData had not identified any evidence of project implementation.

Additional details

1. The Chinese project title is 援纳米比亚卫星地面数据接收站和处理系统建设项目 or 中国援助的纳米比亚卫星数据地面接收站项目. 2. The precise grant commitment date is unknown. The Nambia’s 2018/2019 Financial Year ran from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. For the time being, AidData has set the grant commitment date to April 1, 2018.

Number of official sources

6

Number of total sources

10