The Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) and Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine (LHU) on Monday signed two agreements as the uranium miner moves towards resuming its operations.
The two organisations inked a water supply commitment agreement and a repayment agreement for the mine’s share of funds invested in the construction of a water pipeline to supply mines in the Erongo region.
As part of the water supply agreement, Langer Heinrich will get uninterrupted bulk desalinated water supplies from NamWater, initially from the Orano plant and eventually from the mooted SS1 Desalination Plant approved for implementation.
LHU has been NamWater’s customer since the commissioning of the mine in August 2006, consuming on average about 1.5Mm/annum.
The mine was originally supplied from groundwater sources before being moved to the desalinated water source in 2013 when all the mines were moved to desalination because of there not being adequate water available from groundwater sources.
The latest move comes after the government recently said it was moving ahead with the construction of a new desalination plant, which will produce 70,000 cubic meters (2.5 million cubic feet) of water a day.
Meanwhile, Langer Heinrich is expected to repay, on a pro rata basis, its share of the capital cost of the Wlotzkasbaken to Swakopmund Pipeline, which was built on the back of increased water supply demand from the mining sector in the region.
The Namibian Government invested in a new 34km pipeline between Wlotzkasbaken and Swakopmund at a total cost of N$454 million, replacing the old pipeline from the Omdel Aquifer to Swakopmund to supply water to the uranium mines in the Erongo region,
NamWater chief executive officer Abraham Nehemia said the investment in the pipeline allowed the corporation to connect the NamWater bulk supply system to the existing desalination plant owned by Orano Resources Namibia, and from which the mines are supplied water by NamWater.
“At the time of the ongoing ‘care & maintenance” LHU and NamWater agreed to suspend the payment obligations relating to the Wlotzkasbaken and Swakopmund pipeline, with the condition that when the mine returns to operations, the outstanding obligation on the pipeline will be settled before water supply can be restored,” Nehemia said.
