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AREVA IN NAMIBIA: KEY FACTS

AREVA works in Namibia through its subsidiary AREVA Resources Namibia.

The company is developing the Trekkopje mine, located 70 km northeast of Swakopmund in the desert region of Erongo.

To supply the water needed to exploit the mine, the Group has constructed the Erongo Desalination Plant (EDP). Located on the coast 50 km from the mine, the plant will preserve the water in the country’s aquifers.

This project currently provides 200 direct jobs and about 1,800 indirect jobs (suppliers and subcontractors), with 98% of them held by Namibians.

 
Energy issues in Namibia

Namibia imports half of its electricity from South Africa. To meet its energy requirements, the Namibian government is looking into the possibility of developing a nuclear power program.

Namibia already has two large uranium mines capable of supplying nearly 10% of world production. Commercial operation of the first mine began in 1976.

AREVA's nuclear energy activities in Namibia

Trekkopje mine

The Trekkopje mine will be AREVA’s an open pit mine in southern Africa and the largest of its kind. The very large, shallow, high-tonnage deposit contains low-grade ore. The orebody extends over an area 14 km long and 3 km wide.

The desalination plant 

AREVA Resources Namibia has built a seawater desalination plant and a water distribution system at Wlotzkasbaken, approximately 30 km north of Swakopmund.

The water will be transported across the desert to the Trekkopje mine by a pipeline 48 km long and 800 mm in diameter, with three pumping stations along the way.

The plant will supply all the water that will be consumed by the Trekkopje mine. The surplus potable water produced by the plant (about 8 million m3) will be available for industrial and domestic use in the Erongo region.

 

Societal responsibility

For more than 50 years, AREVA has maintained its commitment to Societal responsibility in conjunction with the operation of its uranium mines in Africa.

To turn its social commitment into concrete results, AREVA has worked with the communities in the Erongo region (Swakopmund, Arandis and Spitzkkope) in multiple social projects in the areas of education, health, local development, and athletics sponsorship.

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Namibia desalination plant inauguration press kit

Namibia desalination plant inauguration press kit

AREVA Resources Namibia has built a desalination plant in order to supply all of the water used by the Trekkopje mine, located approximately 40 kilometers into the desert. As a result, AREVA will not pump water from the earth and will preserve the country’s water reserves.

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Namibia: A desalination plant to preserve groundwater

Namibia: A desalination plant to preserve groundwater

On April 16th 2010, AREVA has inaugurated the first seawater desalination plant ever built in Southern Africa, near the Trekkopje mine.The excess production will be distributed to the local population and other mines in the future.