New Horizon Copper has set November 2026 for the restart of the New Horizon Copper Mine, formerly Kombat Mine, with underground dewatering scheduled to begin this month and processing plant commissioning targeted for October, as the company advances a redevelopment programme backed by more than US$24 million, about N$390 million, in planned equity investment.
The latest timetable puts dewatering in September, plant commissioning in October and the restart of mining in November. New Horizon had previously said operations were expected to resume during the fourth quarter of 2026.
General manager Hans Nolte disclosed the September and November targets during a recent communication session with employees and contractors. New Horizon said the meeting reinforced its targets to commence dewatering in September and restart the mine in November.
Horizon Corporation disclosed the October processing plant commissioning target in an operational update on 30 June.
Horizon said the restart programme continued to advance during May across processing infrastructure, underground dewatering, earthworks and site preparation.
At the time, civil works for the sensor-based sorting plant were 55% complete, milling plant concrete works were 27% complete, and manufacture of the dewatering pumps was 75% complete.
The sensor-based sorting plant had been shipped, while the first shipments of new processing equipment, including components for the crushing circuit, mills and control systems, had left suppliers. The first dewatering pump systems were also completing factory testing.
The company has not subsequently published comparable construction completion percentages.
N$390m redevelopment
Construction on the redevelopment formally started in February, supported by planned equity investment of more than US$24 million, reported at the time as approximately N$390 million.
Horizon Corporation acquired Trigon Metals’ 80% interest in the operation in December 2025. Texel Mining and Exploration and Epangelo Mining Company hold the remaining interests, each at 10%.
Following the acquisition, Horizon Corporation renamed Kombat Mine the New Horizon Copper Mine. The operating company, previously known as Trigon Mining (Namibia), was also renamed New Horizon Copper (Pty) Ltd.
The redevelopment follows the suspension of underground mining in January 2025 after the main dewatering pump system failed, resulting in progressive flooding of the underground workings.
Before the stoppage, the mine produced 23,000 tonnes of ore in January 2025 at an average copper grade of 1.62%.
New Horizon has since adopted a revised dewatering strategy as part of the redevelopment programme.
The first phase involves six stainless-steel submersible pumps supplied through KSB Pumps & Valves Namibia. The system is designed to remove approximately 3,000 cubic metres of water per hour over six weeks, lowering the underground water level to about 450 metres below surface.
A permanent second pumping station is planned with a capacity of approximately 2,400 cubic metres per hour, while the initial six pumps would provide backup pumping capacity.
Plant capacity to double
The processing plant is being upgraded to a nameplate capacity of 60,000 tonnes of ore per month, up from 30,000 tonnes per month.
The redevelopment includes additional milling capacity and sensor-based sorting technology to separate mineralised material from waste before processing.
New Horizon has also continued recruiting operational and technical personnel as work progresses at the mine.
The November restart date is later than the timetable reported earlier this year. The Chamber of Mines’ 2025 Annual Review had placed the first operational restart and resumption of underground mining in the third quarter of 2026.
The company’s current schedule now provides for dewatering in September, processing plant commissioning in October and the restart of mining in November 2026.
