SWAKOP URANIUM

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Swakop Uranium own the second largest uranium-only mine in the world

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Swakop Uranium is constructing and developing the Husab uranium mine, approximately 65km by road from the coastal town of Swakopmund in Namibia Writer Emily Jarvis

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Project Manager Tom Cullum ???????????????

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Eleven giant Komatsu haul trucks have been assembled and handed over to the Husab project mining team.

wakop Uranium was established in 2006 to explore, evaluate, develop and produce uranium oxide as a source of fuel for low cost, environmentally-friendly, nuclear power. Swakop Uranium has identified as its first task “to deliver to its shareholders and the Namibian nation one of the largest and most efficient uranium mines in the world,” says Swakop’s Director: Communications and Stakeholder relations, Grant Marais. Cementing its place as one of the largest resource drilling projects globally, Swakop Uranium has completed over 800,000 metres (or 800km) of combined reverse circulation and diamond core drilling since April 2006.

The Husab area was targeted as an exploration area of interest in 200607. The geological reasoning behind this was that similar rock formations to those hosting the Rössing Mine to the north were interpreted to be concealed beneath the desert plain in the northern part of Swakop Uranium’s Exclusive Prospecting License (EPL). The discovery holes were drilled in late 2007, the chemical assay results for the three discovery holes were returned from the laboratory in early 2008 and released to the market in February 2008.

Until April 2012, Swakop Uranium was a 100% subsidiary of Extract Resources, an Australian company listed on the Australian, Canadian and Namibian stock exchanges. However, in April 2012, Taurus Minerals Limited of Hong Kong became the new owners following a successful takeover of Extract Resources.

At the end of June 2014, Swakop Uranium moved its corporate head office from Windhoek to Swakopmund. The new offices, previously owned by Areva, will be referred to as the Husab Tower.

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Namibia is an investor-friendly country which has a great attitude towards foreign investment and securing the technical skills required for the job”

Husab Uranium Mine Project Details in-Brief

Swakop Uranium is constructing and developing the Husab uranium mine, approximately 65km by road from the coastal town of Swakopmund in Namibia. The mine is planning first production by December 2015 and will reach nameplate production by 2017.

The Namibian government granted Swakop Uranium a license on 30th November 2011 to develop the Husab mine, a project that will create about 1,584 permanent jobs and an additional 6,000 temporary jobs during construction. This will increase the number of people employed in the Namibian mining sector by approximately 17%. The project will furthermore create up to 16,000 indirect job opportunities as a result of the mining-multiplier effect.

The Husab project officially kicked off on 18th April 2013 with a groundbreaking ceremony on the mine site.

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Just over a year later, on 8th May 2014, the start of mining operations was declared officially open by the Namibian President, His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba.

On the previous day, the permanent road from the B2 transport route to the Husab mine was officially opened

by Namibia’s Founding President, HE Dr Sam Nujoma. The road project included a 160m bridge over the Khan River, linking the mine to the main B2 transport route leading to Swakopmund. This is the longest bridge built in Namibia since the country’s independence in 1990. The surfaced road connecting the mine with the Namibian road network, stretches over 22km.

Swakop have received exceptional support in constructing roadways, water and power networks to the mining site. “Namibia is an investorfriendly country which has a great attitude towards foreign investment

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To signal the start of mining operations on the Husab project, HE Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of the Republic of Namibia, and other high ranking dignitaries set off a virtual blast accompanied by a loud bang. With the President are form left Mr Zheng Ke Ping, Swakop Uranium’s CEO, Mr Cleophas Mutjavikua, Governor of the Erongo Region, HE Dr Sam Nujoma, the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia, Hon Isak Katali, Minister of Mines of Energy, HE President Pohamba, Mr. Wang Yiren, Deputy Minister of China Atomic Energy Authority, Mr He Yu, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Company (CGN) and Mr Zheng, Senior VicePresident of CGN.

and securing the technical skills required for the job,” says Marais.

Husab is being developed as a low-risk, conventional, large-scale load-and-haul open pit mine, feeding ore to a conventional agitated acid leach process plant. The mine has a potential life of more than 20 years.

Developing Namibian Infrastructure

Since the Husab project was officially approved in October 2012, Swakop Uranium has made significant progress. Construction of the 37 hectare Husab contractors’ village is complete. The village is a showcase in Namibia, comparing well with the standards of mining companies around the world.

Before officiating at the Commencement of Mining Operations on 8th May, President Pohamba visited the Husab project construction village. He inspected the living quarters, the dining room,

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Various nationalities and cultures are represented at the Husab project, all working in unison towards the same goal.

Swakop Uranium involved a group of scientists to assist with the removal of some of the Welwitschia plants that had to be sacrificed because of the construction of the Husab mine and associated infrastructure.

the kitchen, the ablution facilities and recreational areas. He also spoke to several of the residents in the village.

During his speech later in the day, he praised Swakop Uranium on the excellent quality of the accommodation facilities in the village, where up to 4,000 workers will be housed during the life of the project. “The facilities are even better than some Windhoek hotels,” he said. He further encouraged workers to cherish the employment opportunities at the Husab project: “As a national workforce, Namibians should all focus on improving their productivity,” he said.

By the end of August 2014, the onsite project workforce stood at 3,500, of whom 87% were Namibian citizens.

“Higher levels of Namibian citizens are targeted as we reach the production stages, as local human capital is important to us,” Marais adds.

His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba (left) and Mr He Yu, Chairman of Swakop Uranium’s shareholder, China General Nuclear Power Company.

Swakop Uranium has also confirmed plans to build a 500,000 tonne sulphuric acid plant at the mine.

Sulphuric acid is a key chemical used to recover uranium in an ore body. Construction of the sulphuric acid plant will start in October 2014.

The Husab mine is expected to utilise all the sulphuric acid produced at the envisaged plant. Additional acid, if needed, will be imported or sourced locally.

Swakop Uranium Foundation Trust, assisted the Asser Kepere pre-primary school in Arandis, to build a fence around the school and fix the cracks in the classroom walls.

Operational Readiness Programme

In the meantime, Swakop Uranium has started filling permanent positions well in advance of the opening of the mine as part of the Operational Readiness Programme. This will ensure that staff will be sufficiently trained and ready to hit the ground running.

To this end, Swakop Uranium has initiated a scholarship programme to reduce the skills shortage in various fields in the longer term, signing

Grant Marais - Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations

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Civil construction and thickener steel construction of the Counter Current Decanting (CCD) area.

Swakop Uranium gives special attention to the recruitment of females in a male dominated mining world.

Stripping activities in Husab’s Zone 1 pit. After twenty years of mining, the Zone 1 pit will be about 3km long, 1km wide and 412m deep.

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various agreements with Namibian universities. “Where possible, we will take students on for work experience and tours in order to develop the human population of the country,” Marais states. Moreover, Swakop Uranium publically supports the Namibia Institute for Mining Technology (NIMT) and continues to assist in skills development for unemployed individuals.

Graduates will be afforded the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience with Swakop Uranium through a structured graduate training programme, thus providing the base to develop future leaders. To ensure development to a postgraduate level, the company will sponsor highly motivated and talented Namibians to study abroad and obtain postgraduate Master’s degrees at a university in China. Junior level employees will have specific training programmes to ensure upward mobility in the organisation.

The mining training programmes are on-going and progressing very well. Six simulators were delivered to site and are in full operation supporting the training programmes.

SHER Policy

Safety is the most critical element to any construction or mining business and Swakop are proud to have completed approximately 3 million man hours without accident. “This reinforces the entire safety culture we have put in place. We would like our workers to go home in the exact same state they arrived at work. Our rigorous SHER safety programme ensures safety above all,” Marais highlights.

Environment and health are also equally as important to make sure that radiation levels remain at low levels. “Our Safety, Health, Environment and Radiation policy manages any and all aspects of safety in the workplace accordingly,”

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Marais comments. “Mining is not just about extracting ore. For us, it is more important that we create a sustainable future for the area in which we are developing the Husab mine; in particular focusing on the socio-economic side of the business which we feel is in dire need of assistance.” As such, Swakop Uranium have put in place a sustainability programme that looks after the triple bottom line.

What’s interesting about the location of the Husab project is that it is built in the native area of the endangered Welwitschia plant.

This 1,500 year old plant grows extremely slowly and is only present in parts of Namibia and Angola.

Swakop Uranium have taken it upon themselves to preserve the plant as Marais further explains: “We want the environment to be as close to what it was before we were present here, to preserve these plants for the next generation. Consequently, we have invested significant resources in researching this plant and its root structures, placing a GPS point to the 50,000 we have discovered in the area; photographing each one and recording their state of health, gender and size. We have even moved roads to avoid disrupting the Welwitschia plants, and of course this is not just limited to preserving this one form of vegetation; it extends to all plants and trees in the area.”

Community Involvement Swakop Uranium firmly believes that the company’s reputation will not only be measured on their exploration, mining activities and contribution to the economy, but will be affected by the manner in which the company conduct themselves through interaction with the broader Namibian community and the environment. Swakop Uranium has therefore committed itself to social

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Nine Swakop Uranium bursary holders had the opportunity to expand their practical knowledge when they completed internship stints at the company between June and August 2014.

A section of the 22km road that runs from the B2 highway to the Husab Mine.

The road offers one of the most beautiful drives in Namibia.

The Founding President of Namibia, His Excellency Dr Sam Nujoma, unveils the solid granite road marker at the B2 turn-off to the Husab mine. The marker weighs a massive 34 tonnes.

and empowerment aspects such as local procurement, local recruitment, involvement in social responsibility programmes, training, education and sound environmental management practices.

Swakop Uranium attaches great importance to its goal of localisation in Namibia. “An example of our commitment to local suppliers is Ben Kahirimana of Office Experts, who have grown their businesses exponentially by offering core services to Swakop Uranium and to the growing communities around them.” Marais speaks for the entire company when he surmises that Swakop Uranium herald a great importance in developing the people of the Namibian region in a sustainable manner: “We are very proud of our achievements within both the community and the Husab mine project, and are committed to supporting the Namibian economy.”

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E n q u iries Tel (UK): +44 (0) 1603 559 151 Tel (SA): +27 (0) 21 527 0053 ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

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SWAKOP URANIUM Husab Tower, 2nd Floor, c/nr Leutwein and Nathanael Maxuilili Streets, Swakopmund, Namibia Tel: +264 (0) 64 410 9000 Fax: +264 (0) 64 410 9001

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