Uranium mining in Namibia

Last updated

Namibia has one of the richest uranium mineral reserves in the world. There are currently two large operating mines in the Erongo Region and various exploration projects planned to advance to production in the next few years.

Contents

Rossing uranium mine, an open-pit mine near Arandis Arandis Mine hochformat.jpg
Rössing uranium mine, an open-pit mine near Arandis

Uranium mining in Namibia is of considerable importance to the national economy. In 2020, Namibia produced 11% of uranium worldwide, ranked as the second largest producer, behind Kazakhstan. [1] [2]

Uranium is one of the five mineral resources that were declared "strategic" by the Namibian government in 2011. [3] No new exploration licenses may be granted without involvement of the state-owned mineral exploration company Epangelo Mining. [4] [5]

Background and history

Uranium mineralization was first discovered in the Namibia's Rössing Mountains, Namib Desert in 1928 by Captain G. Peter Louw. Though he tried promoting prospecting, it did not occur for another three decades. In the late 1950s, Anglo America Corporation of South Africa drilled and performed some underground exploration, but because of unstable uranium values and poor economic prospects, the search was abandoned. Uranium exploration was restarted in the country in the following decade, with Rio Tinto obtaining exploration rights for the Rössing deposit in 1966 and starting production in 1976. [6]

The United Nations held special hearings on "The plunder of Namibian uranium" in 1980. [7] Jacob et al. reported in the mid-1980s that the country's uranium mineralization was concentrated in the central zone of the Pan-African Damaran Orogen.[ citation needed ] In 1999, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the only operating mine in the county was the Rössing uranium mine, [8] [9] the largest uranium mine in the world. However, there has been a resurgence in the industry since 2003, [10] and in 2008 uranium mine production in the whole of Africa increased by 16% compared to the previous year. [11] Primary mines have since been opened, including Valencia, Ida Dome, and Goanikontes, as well as two secondary mines, Langer Heinrich (started in 2006) and Trekkopje (started in 2012). [2]

There are two types of Uranium deposits in Namibia: primary uranium mineralization which occurs in granite and secondary uranium mineralization that occurs is calcrete. The necessity for uranium came to be after the COP 26 Convention where many of the member states of the United Nations agreed to reduce their carbon emissions by 2030. The initiative to minimize the carbon emissions led to nuclear energy gaining more validity as an energy source since it does not emit carbon. When large profile organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency back nuclear energy as a potential solution to the problems we are facing, construction projects, the amount of investors interested in these projects, and international price points for uranium increased dramatically. Currently nuclear energy provides 10% of the world's electricity and with the Pandemic subsiding, the upwards trajectory of the uranium market is expected to continue. [12]

Namibia's economy relative to uranium mining

Namibia is the fourth largest uranium producer in the world and produces a staggering 10% of the world's uranium. The mining industry make up a considerable portion of the Namibian economy, consisting of approximately 10% of its GDP and 50% of its total exports. This suggests that the Namibian economy is susceptible to economic instability if the uranium markets experience decreases in price or demand. This was demonstrated by the economic recession reorts about the vast, natural reserves of uranium in Namibia (7% of the global resources) indicate the mining market may grow since Namibia is considering opening more mines and investing more resources into the extraction of uranium. The depletion of other fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal has led to a dramatic increase in the price and demand of uranium on a global level, which has incentivized further pursuit to mine uranium. [13]

Notable mines

Rössing

The Rössing mine contains the largest uranium deposit in the world associated with an igneous rock. [14] Rössing Uranium is owned by Rio Tinto, the world's largest mining group, which has annual profits of over $1.4 billion. It supplies enriched yellowcake uranium to power stations in France, UK, USA and Japan. The open-cast mine opened in 1976 and at one time[ when? ] faced closure. Rössing Uranium Ltd. processed about 12 million metric tons of ore in 2006 and produced 3,617 tons of uranium oxide (U3O8), and in 2009 they processed 12.6 million tonnes of uranium ore and produced 4150 tonnes of uranium oxide in comparison to 4067 tonnes in the previous year. [15]

Langer Heinrich

Deposit from the Erongo Region Uranophane-112537.jpg
Deposit from the Erongo Region

When it opened in 2006, the Langer Heinrich mine was the first conventional uranium mine to be opened in the world in two decades. [16] [17] Langer Heinrich is now considered to have the greatest potential in the country, [18] and saw a 59% increase to 1225 tons of uranium oxide in 2009, compared with 771 tons in 2008. [15] This mine is under care and maintenance since 2018, awaiting higher uranium prices. [19]

Husab

Swakop Uranium operate the Husab mine which is expected to be the second largest uranium mine in the world. Another deposit, the Ida Dome mine, is part of this project.

Trekkopje

The Paris-based multinational corporation Areva Group developed the Trekkopje Mine, but have decided to mothball the project. [20] [21] It is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) of Swakopmund. In 2009, operations were estimated to produce about 100,000 metric tons per day of ore and about 3,000 tons a year of yellowcake. [15] The company has built a desalination plant which is expected to be operating until around 2024.[ citation needed ]

Advanced projects

Tumas

Australian-listed company Deep Yellow Limited is currently undertaking a definite feasibility study on the Tumas paleochannel uranium system and is expected to reach its advanced stage at the beginning of 2023. The tumas project has a total reserve of 122.6Mlb U3O8 at 232ppm. [22]

Norasa

Forsys Metals Corporation of Canada is developing the Valencia and Namibplaas uranium deposits, 40 km north of the Langer Heinrich mine. The company was granted a 25-year mining license in 2008 and, in 2009, announced the completion of an independent mineral resource study for the Valencia deposit. [15] Total Proven and Probable Reserves (2015) were estimated as 206 million tonnes of ore with average grade of 200 ppm (0.02%) uranium oxide (U3O8) for 90.6 million pounds of U3O8. [23]

Etango

Bannerman Energy owns and operates the Etango project, which is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of the Rossing Mine, and 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Swakopmund. [15] Etango is considered to have the largest unexploited uranium resource in the world. [15] A heap leach demonstration pilot plant operated from 2015 to 2020. In 2021 feasibility studies were ongoing for a conventional open pit mining and heap leach processing operation. [24] [25]

Others

Mining laws in Namibia

As the uranium industry grows in Namibia, the laws pertaining to the oversight and regulation of uranium must also be modified to accommodate this change. The minerals and prospecting Act of 1992 does not distinguish between the mining of uranium compared to other types of minerals despite the atomic potential of uranium which could lead to security concerns. Currently, the exploration of potential mining sites and the extraction of uranium cannot take place without the approval of the minister (leader of the Ministry of Mines and Energy) and current practices do not meet the International Atomic Uranium Agency's standards for extraction. The exports laws are also included under this act. Nuclear power is a costly form of energy, the operating costs of waste disposal of nuclear waste are problematic factors that need to be considered when increasing uranium extraction. These laws must ensure uranium mining's validity while taking into account how the waste produced is disposed of properly with necessary precautions being taken. [26]

Safety hazards associated with mining uranium

The process of mining uranium is a dangerous process and can lead to adverse health effects for the miners involved. Uranium is often near to a variety of radio-nuclides such as radium, radon, thorium, and others. Radon gas can cause lung cancer and a number of other respiratory illnesses that can worsen as a result of prolonged exposure. This gas can also affect nearby residents meaning this issue can impact the health of innocent people you have no affiliation with these projects. Radon gas and contamination can also cause cancer, birth defects, increase infant mortality, and cause various lung, eye, and skin related illnesses. When digging into the ground to extract precious minerals, mines produce excess rock called tailings. The rock that does not contain uranium must be processed which can result in uranium leaking into the groundwater and contaminating the groundwater which can lead to health concerns similar to the air pollution specified earlier. [27]

Environmental implications

The environmental impact of uranium mining in Namibia has raised concerns amongst environmentalists, especially as many mining activities are conducted within the Namib-Naukluft National Park. [28] The highly acidic tailings dams found at Namibia's uranium mines are an environmental concern. [29] Monitoring activities include: air, water, and dust quality; biodiversity; medical surveillance; occupational hazards; and radiation protection. [30]

Water Contamination

Milling is the process of separating the rock from the uranium. The rock is reduced to small particles and then those particles are mixed with water. This creates a slurry; when the slurry is mixed with a solution such as sulfuric acid, the uranium is separated from the rock. The remaining slurry is then discarded, and discarding of these tailings contaminates the surrounding environment, including the water. [31] The tailings are still radioactive and when discared are absorbed into the ground which infuses with the groundwater and surface water. The water is now no longer safe for use. [32] Explosives used for mining also create clouds of uranium dust, which settles in nearby fields and waterways. Extreme levels of uranium were detected in 80% of the groundwater taken for study and uranium concentration in the water is above 15 times the WHO limit. [33]

Sustainable development goals of the uranium market

The National Development plans are the templates that dictate how uranium mining in Namibia can more effectively achieve their Sustainable Development Goals within a specified time span. There are five of these plans in total to date. The fifth National Development Plan of Namibia specifies how the mining projects can better achieve economic progression, social transformation, environmental sustainability, and good governance over the course of 2017–2022. This plan operates in tandem with the African Union Agenda 2063 (a plan that details how Africa can use its natural resources to further the continent and improve the quality of life) to help all Africans and not just Namibia exclusively. Namibia has been very proactive and cooperative when it comes to the Sustainable Development Goals introduced in 2015, and uranium mining may positively effect all of these goals if the expansion of the market is done carefully. This plan analyzes important metrics such as demographic data, poverty rates, human development indexes, environmental resilience, and governance scores in an attempt to quantify progress and identify weak areas that need to improve. [34]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rössing uranium mine</span> Open-pit uranium mine in Namibia

The Rössing uranium mine in Namibia is the longest-running and one of the largest open pit uranium mines in the world. It is located in the Namib Desert near the town of Arandis, 70 kilometres from the coastal town of Swakopmund. Discovered in 1928, the Rössing mine started operations in 1976. In 2005, it produced 3,711 tonnes of uranium oxide, becoming the fifth-largest uranium mine with 8 per cent of global output. Namibia is the world's fourth-largest exporter of uranium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium mining</span> Process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground

Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. Over 50 thousand tons of uranium were produced in 2019. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia were the top three uranium producers, respectively, and together account for 68% of world production. Other countries producing more than 1,000 tons per year included Namibia, Niger, Russia, Uzbekistan, the United States, and China. Nearly all of the world's mined uranium is used to power nuclear power plants. Historically uranium was also used in applications such as uranium glass or ferrouranium but those applications have declined due to the radioactivity of uranium and are nowadays mostly supplied with a plentiful cheap supply of depleted uranium which is also used in uranium ammunition. In addition to being cheaper, depleted uranium is also less radioactive due to a lower content of short-lived 234
U and 235
U than natural uranium.

Paladin Energy Ltd is a Western Australian based uranium production company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium mining in the United States</span> Uranium mining industry in U.S.

Uranium mining in the United States produced 173,875 pounds (78.9 tonnes) of U3O8 in 2019, 88% lower than the 2018 production of 1,447,945 pounds (656.8 tonnes) of U3O8 and the lowest US annual production since 1948. The 2019 production represents 0.3% of the anticipated uranium fuel requirements of the US's nuclear power reactors for the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium mining in Colorado</span>

Uranium mining in Colorado, United States, goes back to 1872, when pitchblende ore was taken from gold mines near Central City, Colorado. The Colorado uranium industry has seen booms and busts, but continues to this day. Not counting byproduct uranium from phosphate, Colorado is considered to have the third largest uranium reserves of any US state, behind Wyoming and New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium ore</span> Economically recoverable concentrations of uranium within the Earths crust

Uranium ore deposits are economically recoverable concentrations of uranium within the Earth's crust. Uranium is one of the most common elements in the Earth's crust, being 40 times more common than silver and 500 times more common than gold. It can be found almost everywhere in rock, soil, rivers, and oceans. The challenge for commercial uranium extraction is to find those areas where the concentrations are adequate to form an economically viable deposit. The primary use for uranium obtained from mining is in fuel for nuclear reactors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium mining in Arizona</span>

Uranium mining in Arizona has taken place since 1918. Prior to the uranium boom of the late 1940s, uranium in Arizona was a byproduct of vanadium mining of the mineral carnotite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In situ leach</span>

In-situ leaching (ISL), also called in-situ recovery (ISR) or solution mining, is a mining process used to recover minerals such as copper and uranium through boreholes drilled into a deposit, in situ. In situ leach works by artificially dissolving minerals occurring naturally in a solid state. For recovery of material occurring naturally in solution, see: Brine mining.

Uranium mining in New Mexico was a significant industry from the early 1950s until the early 1980s. Although New Mexico has the second largest identified uranium ore reserves of any state in the United States, no uranium ore has been mined in New Mexico since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium One</span>

Uranium One is an international group of companies, part of the management circuit of the TENEX Group of Rosatom State Corporation. Since 2013, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Moscow-based Uranium One Group, a part of the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining in Namibia</span>

Mining is the biggest contributor to Namibia's economy in terms of revenue. It accounts for 25% of the country's income. Its contribution to the gross domestic product is also very important and makes it one of the largest economic sectors of the country. Namibia produces diamonds, uranium, copper, magnesium, zinc, silver, gold, lead, semi-precious stones and industrial minerals. The majority of revenue comes from diamond mining. In 2014, Namibia was the fourth-largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa.

Uranium production is an important part of the African economy, with Niger, Namibia and South Africa creating up to 18% of the world's annual production. Many African countries produce uranium or have untapped uranium ore deposits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil and mining industry of Niger</span>

The mineral mining industry is a crucial piece of the Economy of Niger. Exports of minerals consistently account for 40% of exports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hathor Exploration</span>

Hathor Exploration Limited is a uranium exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its exploration office is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Hathor's exploration projects concentrate on properties within the Athabasca Basin of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

The world's largest producer of uranium is Kazakhstan, which in 2019 produced 43% of the world's mining output. Canada was the next largest producer with a 13% share, followed by Australia with 12%. Uranium has been mined in every continent except Antarctica.

Nuclear energy in Namibia is a topic of geopolitical interest but is currently not an infrastructure concern. There are no nuclear power plants in Namibia. There is potential interest in the country's nuclear power capacities, as Namibia is the world's fourth-largest uranium producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langer Heinrich Mine</span>

The Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) is a large open pit mine located in the western part of Namibia in the Erongo Region. Langer Heinrich represents one of the largest uranium reserves in Namibia having estimated reserves of 57,000 tonnes of ore grading 0.055% uranium. The Langer Heinrich Mine is currently owned by Paladin Energy Ltd with a 75% stake and CNNC Overseas Uranium Holding Ltd with a 25% stake. Paladin Energy sold the 25% to the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in 2014 for a reported $190 million. The mine is under care and maintenance since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husab Mine</span>

The Husab Mine, also known as the Husab Uranium Project, is a uranium mine near the town of Swakopmund in the Erongo region of western-central Namibia. The mine is located approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Walvis Bay. The Husab Mine is expected to be the second largest uranium mine in the world after the McArthur River uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada and the largest open-pit mine on the African continent. Mine construction started in 2014. The Husab Mine started production towards the end of 2016 after completion of the sulfuric acid leaching plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greyhawk Mine</span> Abandoned uranium mine in Ontario, Canada

Greyhawk Mine is a decommissioned underground uranium mine located in Faraday Township near Bancroft, Ontario. It operated from 1954 to 1959 and from 1976 to 1982. The mine produced 80,247 tons of uranium ore, of which 0.069% was U3O8 worth $834,899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium mining in the Bancroft area</span> History of mining in Bancroft, Canada

Uranium mining around Bancroft, Ontario, was conducted at four sites, beginning in the early 1950s and concluding by 1982. Bancroft was one of two major uranium-producing areas in Ontario, and one of seven in Canada, all located along the edge of the Canadian Shield. In the context of mining, the "Bancroft area" includes Haliburton, Hastings, and Renfrew counties, and all areas between Minden and Lake Clear. Activity in the mid-1950s was described by engineer A. S. Bayne in a 1977 report as the "greatest uranium prospecting rush in the world".

References

  1. ↑ "Uranium Production Figures, 2011-2020". London: World Nuclear Association. September 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 Merkel, Broder; Schipek, Mandy (28 October 2011). The New Uranium Mining Boom: Challenge and Lessons Learned. Springer. pp. xvi, 111–. ISBN   978-3-642-22121-7 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "2012 Investment Climate Statement - Namibia". U.S. Department of State. Washington, DC: Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Kufa, Leon (April 2016). "Boom and Slump. The Mining Industry Has Seen it All". Mining Journal. Supplement to The Namibian. pp. 9–11.
  5. ↑ "Uranium in Namibia". London: World Nuclear Association. October 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  6. ↑ International Atomic Energy Agency (17 June 2008). Uranium 2007: Resources, Production and Demand. OECD Publishing. pp. 256–. ISBN   978-92-64-04766-2 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Eriksen, Tore Linné; Moorsom, Richard (1985). The Political Economy of Namibia: An Annotated Critical Bibliography (PDF). Uppsala, Sweden: The Scandinavian Institute of African Studies. pp. 184–185. ISBN   91-7106-297-1 . Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  8. ↑ International Atomic Energy Agency (21 September 1999). Environmental Activities in Uranium Mining and Milling: A Joint Report. OECD Publishing. p. 115. ISBN   978-92-64-17064-3 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  9. ↑ Santcross, Nick; Ballard, Sebastian; Baker, Gordon (2001). Namibia Handbook: The Travel Guide. Footprint Travel Guides. pp. 355–. ISBN   978-1-900949-91-0 . Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  10. ↑ Merkel, Broder J.; Hasche-Berger, Andrea (24 October 2008). Uranium, Mining and Hydrogeology. Springer. p. 17. ISBN   978-3-540-87745-5 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  11. ↑ Geological Survey (U.S.) (24 October 2010). Minerals Yearbook, 2008, V. 3, Area Reports, International, Africa and the Middle East. Government Printing Office. p. 1. ISBN   978-1-4113-2965-2 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  12. ↑ Uranium Association, Namibian. "Uranium Mining in Namibia".
  13. ↑ Shindondola-Mote, Hilma (October 2008). "Uranium Mining in Namibia" (PDF). Issue Lab.
  14. ↑ Robb, L. J. (2005). Introduction to Ore-Forming Processes. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 41–. ISBN   978-0-632-06378-9 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Geological Survey (10 November 2011). Minerals Yearbook Area Reports: International Review, 2009, Africa and the Middle East. Government Printing Office. p. 32. ISBN   978-1-4113-2975-1 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  16. ↑ SouthScan Southern Africa monthly regional bulletin. D. Coetzee. 2005. p. 142. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  17. ↑ World mineral production. British Geological Survey. 2006. p. 95. ISBN   978-0-85272-614-3 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  18. ↑ OECD Nuclear Energy Agency; International Atomic Energy Agency (September 2002). Uranium 2001: resources, production and demand. OECD Publications. p. 216. ISBN   978-92-64-19823-4 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  19. ↑ Ndjavera, Maihapa (10 June 2021). "Langer Heinrich Uranium still awaits recovery of uranium prices". New Era .
  20. ↑ "Areva gèle son projet minier de Trekkopje en Namibie" [Areva freezes its Trekkopje mining project in Namibia]. Les Échos (in French). 12 October 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  21. ↑ Belda, Pascal (May 2008). EBizguide Namibia. MTH Multimedia S.L. pp. 102–. ISBN   978-84-935202-1-2 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  22. ↑ "Reptile Project".
  23. ↑ "Norasa". Toronto, Ontario: Forsys Metals Corp. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  24. ↑ "Etango Project". Subiaco, Australia: Bannerman Energy. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  25. ↑ "Etango Uranium Project, Namibia Optimisation Study" (PDF). Bannerman Resources. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  26. ↑ Shindondola-Mote, Hilma (October 2008). "uranium Mining in Namibia" (PDF). Issue Lab.
  27. ↑ Shinondola-Mote, Hilma. "Uranium Mining in Namibia" (PDF). Issue Lab.
  28. ↑ Pallet, John, Environmental Evaluation Associates of Namibia
  29. ↑ Mweti, I.; van Wyk, H. (6 October 2009). NSSC Development Studies Module 1 Student's Book. Cambridge University Press. pp. 176–. ISBN   978-0-521-17955-3 . Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  30. ↑ Agency (2008), p. 263
  31. ↑ "Uranium: How is it Mined?". New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  32. ↑ Shindondola-Mote, Hilma. "Uranium mining in Namibia" (PDF).{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ↑ "Rossing, Namibia: Uranium Mining Site".
  34. ↑ Schneider, G.I.C. "Uranium, the Environment and Sustainable Development: Lessons from Namibia" (PDF).

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey .

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.