downstream opportunities in namibia

I very much doubt the govt will kill the golden goose!


WINDHOEK ? Namibia is on the verge of enormous industrial growth fuelled by developments around the uranium industry, which would create much-needed employment opportunities, Philip Ellis, Gecko Namibia Managing Director, revealed at a breakfast meeting last week.

Gecko is considering four sites along the coast, north of Swakopmund and Dune 7 at Walvis Bay to set up a reagent manufacturing plant for the uranium industry.

During construction of the various projects embarked upon by Gecko, Ellis said approximately 11 250 employment opportunities would be created. Thereafter, Ellis said, Gecko would employ approximately 2 470 people on a permanent basis.

?If the indirect permanent employment opportunities created by the Gecko projects are added to this number, a total of approximately 17 300 people will be employed on a permanent basis. The total cost of the Gecko initiatives would be approximately N$12 billion.

?Worldwide, Namibia is now the fourth largest producer of uranium oxide, with annual production forecast to rise fourfold by 2014. More uranium mines are expected to come into production in the next decade,? he said.

Ellis said this mining expansion would be accompanied by increased demand for reagents such as sulphuric acid and alkaline chemicals, power and fresh water required by the mines and their processing plants.

Currently, all reagents used by the uranium mines for ore-leaching processes are imported, and consumption would likely increase at least threefold.

Ellis said the manufacturing of these chemicals could synergise with other industrial needs, namely power generation and desalination of sea water, while processing of and value-adding to other local raw materials such as marine phosphates, limestone and sea salt would occur.

?These realities create a once in a life time opportunity.? He said Gecko has identified the potential for a dedicated industrial park in which all heavy industrial developments can be accommodated.

?Such an industrial park could successfully unlock Namibia?s mineral potential, and be the single largest contributor to achieving the goals set in Vision 2030.?
The proposed development is to be called Vision Industrial Park (VIP).

Ellis said Gecko Namibia, through its various subsidiaries, has for the past three years been developing the concept of a heavy industrial park in the Erongo Region.

?While the Gecko Group itself will embark upon the development of sulphuric acid, soda ash and phosphoric acid plants within the proposed industrial park, the park will also sufficiently provide for other industrial and heavy industrial developments. In order to accommodate the long-term needs for industrial development within the Erongo Region, it is our intention to provide for an area of approximately 4 000 hectares for this purpose.?

Ellis said in addition to the proposed chemical plants, Gecko would also embark on the development of a port for the import and export of bulk commodities.

?In order to reach a natural draft of approximate minus-16 metres, a jetty stretching approximately 2 500 metres offshore will be constructed to accommodate Cape-size vessels, which will be able to provide for the bulk commodity needs of Namibia in future.?

The production of sulphuric acid and soda ash, Ellis said, would include bi-carbonate and caustic soda, which would make substantial quantities of reagents required by the existing and developing Namibian uranium mines locally available.

?The local production of these reagents, which are currently sourced mainly from Asia will prevent the outflow of billions of Namibian dollars in foreign currency and will in addition overcome the problem of congestion at the port of Walvis Bay that would stifle development of the emerging uranium and other industries.?

Ellis said the construction of a phosphoric acid plant would enable Namibia to produce phosphoric acid from phosphates that can be found offshore off the Namibian west coast.

?This will introduce a brand-new and lucrative industry to Namibia.?
Phosphoric acid is the source material for a large number of fertilizers. Downstream processing of phosphoric acid to granular fertilizer, he said, would further enhance the value of Namibia?s offshore phosphate deposits.

?Namibia has an estimated phosphate resource of approximately 3 billion tonnes, which puts it in sixth position worldwide.?

Ellis said the proposed port would open up an additional international corridor on the west coast of Africa, creating significant business and employment opportunities.
Gecko Namibia said it would soon commence environmental and social impact assessment studies. It would also host public meetings over the following two weeks as part of the initial scoping and site selection study.