MINING IN AFRICA SWAKOP URANIUM’S HUSAB MINE ON TRACK DUE FOR PRODUCTION BY 2015 Report by Julie Bain In November 2012 construction started at Swakop Uranium’s Husab Project; a deposit discovered in February 2008. The investment of US$2.5 billion will see the construction of one of the largest uranium mines in the world. In short: First production for the Husab uranium project in Namibia is planned for 2015 with the mine ramping up to full capacity by 2017. The life of mine is put at 20 years. When working at full capacity, Husab should produce 6 800t of uranium annually, making it the second largest uranium producer in the world. F irst production is planned for 2015 with the mine ramping up to full capacity by 2017. The life of mine, which lies only 7ks from Rio Tinto’s massive Rossing Uranium mine in Namibia, is put at 20 years. The operation is 10% owned by Namibian state-owned mining company Epangelo. The rest is held by Chinese company, China General Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC), the world’s 2nd biggest builder of nuclear plants. CGNPC is securing its future supply of uranium through its 90% stake in the giant Husab project in Namibia. An aerial picture of the Husab mine’s process plant and construction camp earthworks. 20 MINING REVIEW AFRICA ISSUE 12 2013 “Since the signing of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract for the Husab Project in Beijing in November 2012, Swakop Uranium has been working at full pace with construction and development of the mine,” said the company at the time of the ground breaking ceremony in April this year. The Sub-Saharan Africa unit of engineering, procurement and construction management company, Tenova Bateman, as part of a joint venture with international engineering and project management company AMEC, secured the epcm contract for the development of Husab late last year. A key element of the contract is the construction of the metallurgical uranium plant. Tenova said the mine is in the Erongo region of western- central Namibia and is seen as the most important uranium discovery of recent years.