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By: Eugene Dube
Namibia has taken a significant step toward expanding its water infrastructure, with Swakop Uranium and the national water utility NamWater finalising a joint venture to build the country’s second desalination plant near Swakopmund. The project, long on the national agenda, is expected to bolster water supply for mining operations and coastal communities in the arid Erongo region.
Swakop Uranium, a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) will hold a 70% stake in the venture, with NamWater owning the remaining 30%. The partners said on Tuesday that negotiations had concluded successfully and the project would now move into the implementation phase. According to the statement, the next steps include registering the Erongo Sunam Desalination Project Joint Venture Company, completing detailed engineering work, conducting environmental assessments, arranging financing and preparing for construction.
The planned 20-million-cubic-meter-a-year facility will strengthen water security for the Husab mine, the world’s largest open-pit uranium mine and the biggest water consumer in the Erongo region. It will also supply neighbouring mines and several local communities. Officials noted that Husab is the second-largest single water user in Namibia after the City of Windhoek.
The desalination project has been in discussion since 1998, but renewed momentum has come as uranium production expands and water demand in the region grows. NamWater spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata declined to provide a cost estimate, although local media have reported a projected price tag of around N$3-billion.
