Uranium mining companies operating in the Erongo region face a 500 cubic meter per hour deficit.
The Erongo desalination plant (EDP) at Wlotzkasbaken, 35 km north of Swakopmund, supplies water to the mines and the towns in the region.
The plant owned by Orano can produce up to 20 million cubic metres (Mm3) of potable water annually.
Orano concluded an agreement with NamWater in August 2013 and has been producing up to 12 Mm3 per annum to augment the water supply to the other uranium mines and central coastal towns of Namibia, as there is a shortage of groundwater in the region.
According to the Chamber of Mines Namibia, the 500 cubic meter per hour deficit is primarily due to inadequate distribution infrastructure and increased water consumption by local municipalities.
The Chamber says it has been proactively addressing water supply challenges for the uranium sub-sector through the efforts of the Council Water Committee.
Key developments include commissioning a bypass connection and rehabilitation of a 34km pipeline from Omdel to the Orano desalination plant, boosting water supply by an additional 400-500 cubic meters per hour. The Chamber also says the commissioning of the 10th column at the Orano desalination plant in December 2024 will further increase capacity by 250 cubic meters per hour.
“Despite these advancements, a 500 cubic meter per hour deficit remains, primarily due to inadequate distribution infrastructure and increased water consumption by local municipalities,” the Chamber says.
To mitigate this, the Chamber is engaging NamWater on the urgency of installing three additional reservoirs of 20,000 cubic meters each, earlier than NamWater’s 2027 timeline.
The Chamber further says that the construction of a second desalination plant by Swakop Uranium and NamWater is expected to provide a sustainable solution in the long term.
“These advocacy initiatives underscore the Chamber’s commitment to resolving the immediate water supply challenges for the uranium sub-sector while addressing both immediate and future needs of mines in the Erongo region,” the Chamber says in its 2024 annual report.
