Husab lives up to the billing

Swakop Uranium is celebrating the achievements of its 20th anniversary while the Husab open-pit uranium mine rapidly approaches its designed peak production levels. Uranium production increased from 3 959 tonnes in 2022 to 5 318 tonnes in 2023. The launch of its sustainability report for 2023-2024 was celebrated on Monday at a glamorous event in Windhoek. The president of the majority shareholder, China General Nuclear (CGN) Power Group, Gao Ligang, and the deputy administrator of China's National Energy Administration, He Yang, were both present. According to He, China and Namibia are important partners, and Husab symbolises their cooperation."Over eight years of operations, with the support of both governments and the hard work of the employees, 30 000 tonnes of finished uranium product have been produced."China upholds the principle of cooperation and we respond to local policies. We are committed to Namibia's social development goals and want to make a positive impact on Namibian society through responsible mining," he said.Gao stated at the event that CGN believes in excellence in mining, which goes beyond extraction and includes responsibilities toward the environment and the people surrounding the mine.“Swakop Uranium sets the standard for responsible mining. The vision is a future where production is both clean and green. Swakop Uranium embodies that vision in action,” he said.High standards achievedThe Swakop Uranium Foundation was established for social investment, with N$5 million allocated for the 2024-2025 financial year, according to a council member of Swakop Uranium, Eliphas Hawala. He expressed his strong optimism about the Husab mine.The executive vice president of Swakop Uranium, Irvinne Simataa, elaborated on Husab’s safety achievements, which included ISO and NOSA four-star certification in 2023. For 2023, Husab was the best mine in terms of safety in Class A of the Chamber of Mines’ annual awards.“We promote a culture of safety among everyone as a priority,” he said.Furthermore, the workforce has expanded to 1 650 full-time employees, with an additional 2 000 contract workers on the payroll. Simataa emphasised a wealth of training and leadership development initiatives at the mine. Seventy graduates have been hired over the past two years, while more than 30 management teams completed training in China.Innovation in 2023 included the 50 MW steam power at the mine's acid plant, which will soon be supplemented with 12 MW of solar power. Electricity is used to assist mine haul trucks in their journey from the open-pit mine, while scanners and intelligent systems help improve the supply to the crusher and enhance the processing of a US$400 million enrichment process facility for low-grade ore, he said.Swakop Uranium locally procured goods and services worth N$3.9 billion last year, with total local expenditures of N$6.4 billion, he said.“Our vision is global dominance,” said Simataa.

Husab lives up to the billing

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

Please login to leave a comment

Husab lives up to the billing

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

Please login to leave a comment

Login