By Eveline de Klerk
SWAKOPMUND – Swakop Uranium’s Husab Mine is on schedule and commissioning of the processing plant is expected to take place later this year, while the mine will start uranium production early next year. This is according to the mine’s management that on Tuesday took journalists on a tour of the mine that is situated about 60 kilometres north-east of Swakopmund.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Swakop Uranium, Zheng Keping, significant progress regarding the construction of the project has been made since the mine was commissioned last year and its design is about 95 percent complete.
He added that so far 50 percent of the total budget was already spent, on the construction and acquisition of machinery among others. He added that local resources, especially from the Erongo Region also benefited from the 50 percent already spent. The mine is being constructed on a cost of N$20 billion.
He added that the mine recently also acquired the biggest crushing plant in Southern Africa, which the mine will use next year.
Also briefing the media on the mine’s development was Deon Garbers, senior vice-president of operations, who said the mine expects to move 150 million tonnes of rock per annum and 15 million tonnes of processed ore, per annum.
“The mine’s life-span is 20 years plus. New deposits have already been discovered as well which will expand the lifespan of the mine further,” he said.
So far, 800 kilometres have been drilled to delineate the two ore bodies since 2006. Gabers also indicated that 350 000 tonnes of reagents (excluding diesel and explosives) will be imported per year through the port of Walvis Bay, which is equivalent to 30 percent of all the commodity exports of Namibia during 2013, inclusive of salt. Husab Mine will consume 80 million litres of diesel per year, which is “equivalent to 30 percent of the total supply of Engen to Namibia,” he said.
The Husab project is expected to contribute five percent to the Namibian Gross Domestic Product, 20 percent to the country’s merchandise exports, and is also expected to generate between N$1.1 billion to N$1.7 billion per year in government revenue.
Swakop Uranium, is owned by China General Nuclear Power Holdings Co, China Africa Development Fund and State-owned mining company, Epangelo Mining.
Currently, aboutt 4 000 people are employed on the plant’s construction with another 600 on mining operations. The 4 000 will be phased out once construction of the mine is completed. However, 600 more employees will be employed.