Martin Endjala
Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) Chief Executive Officer Abraham Nehemia, said the institution is open to collaborating in de-risking and delivering bulk water to current and future mining projects in the country.
“As we are all aware that water plays a critical role in the mining sector, and as a bulk water supplier, we are open to collaborate in de-risking and delivering bulk water to current and future mining projects,” he said.
Nehemia was speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with Osino Gold Exploration and Mining at the Mining Expo in Windhoek last week.
The MoU is said to contribute to the realisation of the operation of the proposed mine (Twin Hills Project), and its positive impact on the Namibia economy.
He said the areas of cooperation in the MoU speak to reducing water supply risks to the proposed Mine, and currently the bulk water supply to Twin Hills Gold Mine is established to be sourced from NamWater Kranzberg Borehole Scheme located near the town of Usakos.
Nehemia assured Osino Gold Exploration that the water source is found to be adequate to meet the Gold mine water demand during its envisioned period of operation.
Further explaining that the development of water infrastructure such as pipelines and pumping stations to deliver water to the proposed mine will jointly be implemented between the parties to ensure mining timelines are not compromised.
Meanwhile, Osino country manager Werner Schoeman, said the partnership personifies its commitment to collaborative ambitions to the development of water resources and responsibility to ensure water utilisation.
Osino is a Canadian Gold exploration and development company which recently announced its dual-listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange, focused on fast-tracking advancement of its wholly owned Twin Hills gold project in Namibia, and its production is envisaged to take off in 2025 or early 2026.
In September 2022, Osino released a pre-feasibility study for its flagship Twin Hills project based on 2.15Moz reserves, outlining a 13-year open-pit life of mine with an average annual production of 150 koz at AISC of US$1,000/oz.
The mine is located near Karibib in the Erongo region, and is projected to create about 750 new jobs in the region, most positions will be reserved for people from local communities.
According to the company’s 2021 Sustainability Report of Canadian-listed gold explorer and mine developer, the Mine has already brought N$ 224.6 million of foreign direct investment to the Namibian economy.
“Osino has set itself the goal of embedding sustainability into all aspects of the mine’s design. For this reason, the Company is working with a large team of technical and social experts on positive initiatives, such as housing for mine workers, skills development, renewable energy options including solar energy and a battery energy storage system, and minimising water usage,” reads the reports.
