Japan backs Lüderitz water fix

A delegation from Japan's Toyota Tsusho Corporation visited the Lüderitz Town Council on Tuesday to brief political, administrative and technical leadership on the progress of a feasibility study for a seawater desalination plant and photovoltaic energy facility in the//Kharas Region.

The visit marked a milestone in the relationship between Toyota Tsusho and NamWater, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2025 to explore the viability of supplementing the town's ageing Koichab Water Scheme.

The project, selected under Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry financial year 2024 Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Projects programme, is formally titled the "Study on Seawater Desalination Utilizing Renewable Energy in the //Kharas Region."

Lüderitz currently produces approximately 3,600 cubic metres of water per day, a figure constrained by distribution infrastructure and system capacity. The proposed facility is expected to deliver around 100,000 cubic metres per day, a near-28-fold increase, to meet the growing needs of residential users, emerging industries and green hydrogen development.

The town's existing water source is projected to sustain supply for only the next ten years under uninterrupted conditions, lending urgency to efforts to secure an alternative.

Toyota Tsusho's business spans mobility, digital solutions and green infrastructure. The corporation's delegation concluded the visit with a site inspection of land allocated by the Lüderitz Town Council to NamWater for the proposed plant.

The feasibility study is expected to be finalised by February 2027. Permitting and construction are planned to commence between 2028 and 2031.