Van Eck is a 120 MW coal power station in Khomas, Namibia. It is operated by Namibia Power Corp Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 150k homes (estimated). It ranks #5 of 16 Namibia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1972, it is around 54 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 2.4% of Namibia's electricity; the national grid averages 49 gCO₂/kWh (97.6% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023134.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103085; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Namibia coal capacity
- 28.6% of 420 MW across 2 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in Namibia
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Namibia Power Corp Ltd [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 22.5°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 83% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 20/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #2 largest coal power plant of 2 in Namibia by capacity.
Namibia has 2 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 420 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Namibia Breweries · Solar · 1.2 MW · Khomas
- Osona · Solar · 5 MW · Otjozondjupa
Location
Coordinates -22.514, 17.0789 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Van Eck?
Van Eck is a 120 MW coal power plant in Khomas, Namibia, commissioned in 1972.
Who operates Van Eck?
Van Eck is operated by Namibia Power Corp Ltd [100%].