The Trekkopje Uranium Mine project has been under care and maintenance for about 10 years. The mine is about 80km from the coastal town of Swakopmund.
Although the area where the proposed project is had been drilled before, the real work started when the Canadian company Uramin Inc acquired rights in 2005 through its subsidiary, Uramin Namibia Pty Ltd.
Uramin got two exploration licences in November 2006 after presenting a preliminary environmental assessment report in March 2006.
Uramin stated in the environmental assessment that it envisaged mining
40,000t ore and 10,000 t overburden daily for at least 15 years.
The company identified water supply as a challenge.
Timeline
6 March 2006
Uramin released preliminary environmental assessment at Arandis, a town about 40km from Swakopmund. Turgis Consulting prepared the preliminary environmental assessment report. At the time when the Trekkopje Uranium project was under plans, there were fears that Rossing Uranium’s lifespan was about to end. Trekkopje, 35km from Rossing, would then create jobs.
12 May 2006
UraMin Namibia (Pty) raised US$60m to conduct further drilling to ascertain the Trekkopje project’s viability. The company also expected to complete a feasibility programme later in 2006 ahead of commissioning the mine in 2008. Uramin Namibia’s preliminary cost estimate was US$180m.
23 November 2006
The mines ministry granted Uramin Inc. two exploration licences for the Trekkopje project.
12 December 2006
Uramin started conducting an environmental impact study of the Trekkopje uranium mine project, planning to employ 120 people for the project, whose lifespan was set at 15 years.
30 March 2007
Uramin Inc said developing the Trekkopje project would cost an estimated US$500m. The company started a pilot project on a 60 000 ton heap leach to produce 4.2 million pounds by 2009. The production would eventually sit at 8.4 million pounds by 2011.
5 April 2007
Faced with the water supply problem, Uramin Inc announced that it would build a 15 million cubic meter per year desalination plant near Wlotzkasbaken.
25 June 2007
French company Areva offered Uramin Inc a cash payout of US$2,5b for a complete takeover. Areva’s subsidiary CFMM Developpement offered to buy each Uramin share for US$7,75c. Areva owned 15 million shares in UraMin.
27 June 2007
Uramin Inc. invited bids for the Wlotzkasbaken desalination plant to supply water to the Trekkopje project, although the mines ministry had not granted a mining licence.
1 August 2007
Uramin Inc accepted Areva’s subsidiary CFMM Developpement’s deal. Areva Inc said it would integrate UraMin into its other mining activities. AREVA Resources Southern Africa was formed to cater for operations in the Central African Republic and South Africa. A subsidiary, AREVA Resources Namibia, was also created.
23 November 2007
Areva and NamWater signed a construction contract for the desalination plant that would cost US$40m. The seawater intake and brine disposal pipeline would cost US$110m
26 November 2007
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp agreed to buy 35% of uranium production in the Central African Republic, Namibia and South Africa. Areva Resources Southern Africa offered to supply, build and operate two nuclear reactors in Guangdong. The companies signed a US$12b deal to see Areva supplying China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp 23 000 tonnes of uranium.
23 February 2008
Areva announced that the Trekkopje mine would start operating n July 2008, with the first yellow cake export expected end of 2009. The company expected to produce 8,5 million pounds of uranium oxide per year. The company also estimated capital expenditure to be US$920m.
June 2008
Areva Resources Namibia got its mining licence 151, valid for 25 years, with an option to renew. Areva said full production would start in 2011.
March 2009
Areva Resources Namibia completed the first development at Trekkopje and produced an 80,000-tonne bulk sample. The company said it was working on the second phase to produce 3 million tonnes.
5 May 2009
AREVA Resources Namibia signed an industrial partnership to maximise its uranium resources’ value and continue developing local skills through training and higher education. Former President Hifikepunye Pohamba supervised the signing of the deal.
28 October 2009
Areva Resources Namibia said the desalination plant was in its final commissioning stage, and tests would be done in mid-2010, ahead of the Trekkopje’s full production expected in the first half of 2011.
19 February 2010
United Africa Group acquired a 50% co-ownership in the desalination plant under the Erongo Desalination Company. The plant’s capacity was set at 20 million cubic metres per year. The Trekkopje project would consume about 14 million cubic metres.
22 February 2010
Areva Resources Namibia said construction and testing were at an advanced stage at the Trekkopje mine ahead of achieving full production in mid-April 2020.
16 July 2010
Bateman Engineering handed over the Midi project (second stage pilot scale operation) to Areva with an announcement that the Maxi project (full production scale operation) was on schedule to ensure the first ore stacking started in the first quarter of 2012.
10 January 2011
Trekkopje mine produced the first uranium concentrate.
27 January 2011
Areva Resources Namibia announced a one-year Trekkopje production delay. The company said production would start in the last quarter of 2013.
19 May 2011
Areva Inc said it was looking for a partner for the Trekkopje mine. It emerged that Trekkopje has low-grade uranium ore that can only pay off long-term at US$70 to 80 per pound.
18 October 2011
French media reported that Areva Inc was restructuring and planning to abandon Trekkopje after the closing down of nuclear reactors in German and the Fukushima plant disaster. Areva Inc denied the reports in the French media.
12 December 2011
Areve Inc said chemical analysis for the Trekkoptje ore showed lower uranium concentration than expected. The company then revised the resource estimate from 45 200 to 26 000 tonnes.
13 December 2011
Le Figaro reported that Areva Inc had suspended the Trekkopje mine and pushed the start date to 2016, depending on the recovery of uranium prices.
11 October 2012
Areva Inc put Trekkopje under care and maintenance. At the time, the mine was 80% complete. Areava also said it would cost them US$10m per year to keep the mine under care and maintenance.
29 October 2012
Areva Inc announced the first 250 tonnes of dried sodium diuranate shipment to France.
26 July 2013
The second shipment of 435 tonnes of sodium di-uranate was sent to France.
13 February 2014
Through the country manager Hilifa Mbako, Areva said there were no plans to start operations because uranium prices were still low.
June 2015
The company was restructured into New Areva and Areva NP. New Areva would be in charge of producing and recycling nuclear materials and waste management and will develop its activities in mining, uranium chemistry, used fuel recycling, logistics, dismantling and fuel cycle engineering. Areva NP would oversee all fuel cycle activities and related central departments.
24 January 2018
New Areva was renamed Orano, while Areva became Framatome. Orano’s activities would involve uranium mining, conversion and enrichment, used fuel recycling, nuclear logistics, decommissioning and engineering.
