Husab production capacity is targeted at 15 million lb/y of U 3O8 , which will rank it among the largest uranium mines in the world.

Pre-stripping ahead of mining will total 85 million mt. The mine plan for open-pit mining from two pits assumes mine pro-duction of 15 million mt/y at an average strip ratio of 7:1.

The Husab process flowsheet is based on conventional technology, with crushing and grinding producing a coarse product for agitated-tank sulphuric acid leaching, followed by solid-liquid separation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, and precipi-tation before drying and packaging of the final product.

Swakop Uranium is 90%-owned by a Chinese consortium headed by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Co., a state-owned enterprise. The remaining 10% is held by Epangelo Mining, a Namibian state-owned mining company.

The engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) con-tract for the Husab project is held by a joint venture of AMEC and Tenova Bateman. Bulk earthworks have com-menced, construction of the temporary road to the Husab mine is well under way, Nampower has approved a guaranteed power supply of 50 MW for the mine, and the first water from a temporary pipeline has been delivered from the Rössing reservoir into a newly-built pond at the Husab mine.

Current scheduling calls for Husab project completion in October 2015.