Husab Mine
Erongo | |
Country | Namibia |
---|---|
Coordinates | 22°36′44″S 15°0′51″E / 22.61222°S 15.01417°E |
Production | |
Products | Uranium |
Type | open pit |
History | |
Opened | 2014 |
Owner | |
Company | China General Nuclear Power Group, Namibia |
Website | http://www.swakopuranium.com/ |
The Husab Mine (formerly the Rössing South Mine), operated under the Husab Uranium Project, is a
On 1 December 2011, the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy granted license to Swakop Uranium to develop the mine.[2]
The uranium in the Husab deposit is granite hosted, and currently consists of an administration and housing area and three open pits.[3] The mine has the potential to produce 15 million pounds (6800 tonnes) of uranium oxide per annum.[4] The Husab mine contains approximately 280 million tonnes of uranium ore. Mining is expected to last nearly 20 years.[5][6]
Geology
Swakop Uranium
Swakop Uranium is an entity established in 2006 by Extract Resources, an Australian company listed on the Australian, Canadian, and Namibian stock exchanges, to explore, evaluate, develop, and produce uranium oxide. In April 2012, Swakop Uranium was acquired by Taurus Minerals Limited of Hong Kong. Swakop Uranium head office is located in Swakopmund. Taurus is a subsidiary of the China General Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC), Uranium Resources Co. Ltd. and the China-Africa Development Fund. Taurus owns ninety percent of Swakop Uranium. The remaining 10% is owned by Epangelo Mining Company, the Namibian state-owned mining company.[8] CGNPC's investment in Swakop Uranium is one of the biggest investments in Namibia since its independence, and by far the single biggest investment by China in Africa. More than US$100-million (in excess of N$1-billion) was spent to reach the construction phase. A further amount of approximately US$2-billion (more than N$20-billion) was spent to bring the mine online.[9]
Environment
Flora and fauna
Swakop Uranium has an environmental management plan committed to caring for all species of
Water
The Husab Project is challenged to ensure that limited nearby water resources are not adversely affected by mining operations. The
A hydrogeology report commissioned by Swakop Uranium concluded that the mining activities will have an effect on water levels. Although there are no farmers or settlements in the area, Swakop Uranium has drilled a number of groundwater monitoring holes around the pit, the waste rock dump, the tailings storage facility, the Welwitschia fields as well as the Khan and Swakop Rivers to measure the effect of mining activities in the area.[12] All the boreholes have their water levels measured monthly and strategic boreholes are sampled every three months for water quality.
Air quality
In order to reduce the dust produced by mining operations to acceptable levels, the Husab mine will employ a number of dust suppression methods such as using water, extraction fans, chemicals, and other suppressants. A dust suppressant will be used on the pit, dump haul roads and other gravel site roads. The use of alternative suppression techniques has the potential to save up to 90% of the water that would otherwise have been required to achieve the same level of control.[13]
Community
Swakop Uranium plans to engage in local procurement and recruitment where possible. The company grants bursaries for promising Namibian university students[14] on an annual basis and has funded the construction of a new school. The company has also established a trust, called the Swakop Uranium Foundation Trust that will focus on training and education, the environment, infrastructure, health, and entrepreneurial development. The trust has donated N$100,000 to the Namibian government's Drought Relief fund.[15]
Safety
Swakop Uranium has instituted a radiation management plan. This plan has been submitted to the National Radiation Protection Authority and is regularly audited to ensure compliance.[16]
Related deposits
There are four related deposits in the granite of the
See also
- Uranium mining
- Uranium mining in Namibia
- Mining in Namibia
- Radium
- Uranium
- Radioactivity
References
- ^ a b "Swakop Uranium: About Us". Swakop Uranium. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Mining licence granted for Husab. World nuclear news organisation 30 November. Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Husab Mine, Arandis Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia". Hudson Institute of Mineralogy (dba MinDat). Archived from the original on 30 May 2023.
- ^ Namibia: Construction of Husab Uranium Mine Progressing Well. All Africa website 5 August 2013. Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ Chinese-invested Husab uranium mine kicks off construction in Namibia - Xinhua News.xinhuanet.com 19 April 2013. Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ Husab Uranium Project details, news, tenders and jobs. EPC Engineer Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ Kinnaird et al. A Review of geological controls on uranium mineralisation in sheeted leucogranites within the Damara Orogen, Namibia. 2005.
- ^ Uranium in Namibia Archived 22 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine World-nuclear.org. Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ Moolman S. Namibia breaks ground on world’s third-largest uranium deposit. Mining Weekly website. Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ Passionately energising our world - Sustainability, Environment, Fauna and Flora. Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Swakop Uranium. Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ Lalley J. and Viles H "Terricolous Lichens in the Northern Namib Desert of Namibia: Distribution and Community Composition." The Lichenologist. The British Lichen Society. 2004 vol 37 p 77-91.
- ^ Jolly J. "Husab project - Hydrology." Aquaterra website 2010.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Namibian Broadcasting Corporation - About NBC. Archived 15 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine NBC website Accessed 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Namibia: Husab developer supports government drought relief efforts." Namibia Economist via allafrica.com, 20 September 2013.
- ^ Passionately energising our world - sustainability, safety. Swakop Uranium. Accessed 27 February 2015. Archived 2 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 978-3-642-22121-7.
- ^ "Uranium in Namibia". World Nuclear Association. May 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Diehl, Peter (2012). "Uranium in Namibia". Wise Uranium Project. World Information Service on Energy (WISE). Retrieved 14 November 2023.