It is intended to address the severe water scarcity in the middle Namibia coastal area, in the Erongo Region, and in the capital city of Windhoek.

[1][2] The desalination plant would be located in the Namib Desert, near the settlement of Wlotzkasbaken, in the Erongo Region of Namibia.

[5][6] In view of the above, in 2024, the government of Namibia authorized the construction of a new modular desalination plant with initial capacity output of 20,000,000 cubic meters (2.0×1010 L) of potable water annually, expandable, as and when necessary.

[3][5] The plans were updated in 2016, after the government turned down an offer to buy the privately owned Erongo Desalination plant at a cost of NAD3 billion (approximately US$164 million in 2024 money).

[3][5] The situation is made more dire by the severe drought conditions affecting the countries of Southern Africa, including Namibia in the third decade of the 21st century (2021 - 2030).