Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation has commissioned a new water treatment plant as its large-scale RP2.0 mine expansion moves closer to completion, positioning the project as central to both future production growth and long-term environmental sustainability.
The new facility is designed to treat and recycle process water generated at the mine, reducing dependence on fresh water supplies from the Orange River as operations expand in one of Namibia’s arid southern regions.
The commissioning comes as the RP2.0 expansion project has advanced past 90% completion, with full construction targeted for before the end of 2026.
The expansion is expected to almost double ore processing capacity at the mine to approximately 1.3 million tonnes per year while lifting annual zinc equivalent production to around 170 million pounds.
The water treatment plant forms part of a broader infrastructure expansion programme that also includes a new processing plant, a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill, underground mine development works and Namibia’s first paste backfill plant, which was commissioned earlier as part of the same project.
According to the company, the paste fill system is expected to reduce surface tailings deposition while improving underground mining efficiencies and ore recovery rates.
Appian Capital Advisory, which acquired a controlling stake in the operation in 2023, said responsible water management remains critical to the mine’s long-term sustainability strategy as production scales up.
The RP2.0 project is centred on extending the life of the mine and unlocking additional ore by developing new underground access infrastructure, including a portal and decline system designed to reach deeper mineralised zones both down dip and along strike.
Alongside construction activities, the mine is also intensifying exploration to expand the mineral resource base beyond the current reserve inventory.
Rosh Pinah Zinc recently announced plans to undertake 36,000 metres of underground drilling focused on extending the existing orebody, alongside a further 10,000 metres of surface drilling targeting new resources in the McMillan area, north of WF3 and Gergarub.
The expansion drive follows a challenging global zinc market environment. It reflects continued confidence in long-term demand for the metal, which remains essential in galvanised steel production, infrastructure development and industrial manufacturing.
Appian Capital Advisory has increasingly focused on critical minerals and base metals linked to industrial growth and the energy transition, with Rosh Pinah forming part of its broader international mining portfolio.
Located in southern Namibia near the South African border, Rosh Pinah Zinc Mine remains one of the country’s most important base metal operations and a significant employer in the ||Karas region.
