CHAMWE KAIRA
Swakop Uranium has year to date spent over N$4.4 billion on the procurement of consumables and services directly from the Namibian market.
Year to Date refers to the period from the beginning of the current year to a specified date before the year’s end. The company said it has been proactively developing the SME sector in the Erongo region.
“It currently serves as the single most important partner to old and emerging SMEs in the region,” the company said.
In 2022, the company injected over N$3.2 billion dollars into the local economy through local procurement, tax and royalties, employee salaries and benefits, as well as social investments.
The company has directly invested over N$6.5 billion in expanding various stages of its open pit and further spent N$81 million in capital expenditure in various equipment acquisition and resource development projects. The company envisages spending an additional N$290 million in the second half for the construction of a demonstration heap leach plant meant to unlock future uranium production potential particularly in low grade ore.
The investment into pit expansions and heap leach pilot is meant to secure ore reserves for future processing in the plant, and support the life-of-mine plan.
“To explore the economic feasibility of processing lower grade uranium ore, Swakop Uranium is in the process of investing in the construction of pilot Heap Leach plant, at an estimated cost of N$290 million. Heap leach pilot plant tests will be concluded by the end of 2025, after which further investment will be made to expand to a commercial heap leach plant, if found to be economically feasible,” said Swakop Uranium’s Executive Vice President, Irvinne Simataa.
He said uranium production at Swakop Uranium’s Husab Mine went up 10 percent against the first half budget commitment. Simataa said at 2426 tonnes, the 2023 half year uranium production represents a 45 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022.
“To explore the economic feasibility of processing lower grade uranium ore, Swakop Uranium is in the process of investing in the construction of pilot Heap Leach plant, at an estimated cost of N$290 million,” Simataa said.
Swakop Uranium is jointly owned by Epangelo Mining Company, China General Nuclear Power Corporation, and the China-Africa Development Fund. The Husab Mine’s boasts a total uranium resource of over 311 000 tons of uranium oxide.
