Govt wants to buy Areva desalination plant

Discussions are in full swing for the Namibian government to buy the French-owned Areva Mine desalination plant, Mines and Energy Minister Isak Katali told Nampa on Wednesday. The Areva desalination plant is located north of Swakopmund in the Erongo Region. Katali, who is currently on an official visit in Beijing, China, made the announcement after a meeting with the Director of China’s National Energy Administration, Wu Xinxiong. Wu is also vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission. During their discussions, Wu raised concern about insufficient water challenge at the Chinese-owned Swakop Uranium’s Husab, in Erongo Region. Husab is a mine near Arandis, where Namibia’s State-owned Epangelo Mining Company has a 10% shareholding, while the remaining 90% belongs to China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company. Wu said when the mine reaches full production in 2016; more water is needed in the production processes. In response Katali said: “If we buy the desalination plant from Areva, water problems at Usab mine will be a thing of the past.” He indicated that the Namibian government, through the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), is currently negotiating the price in order to buy the desalination plant from Areva. “We have already held meetings with France’s Ambassador to Namibia on this issue. Areva is selling some of its assets, which include the desalination plant,” he said. During the meeting, Katali requested the government of China to help in the construction of a nuclear energy training facility in Namibia. He told Nampa that Wu recommended that Katali discuss the issue with the management of the government-owned China Guandong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC), which the Namibian delegation is set to meet on Thursday. The Namibian government is looking to construct a nuclear power plant simulator in to train Namibians in the use of nuclear power energy. The Namibian delegation is in Beijing to discuss agreements on the peaceful use of atomic energy between Namibia and China, amongst other issues. Katali indicated that the main aim of his visit is to look at training facilities of nuclear power plants in China in line with this country’s nuclear cycle policy, which provides for the establishment of a nuclear power plant. -Nampa BEIJING MAGGY THOMAS