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Orano Mining brings economic relief to local authorities – Donates desalinated water worth N$6 million to coastal area

Orano Mining brings economic relief to local authorities – Donates desalinated water worth N$6 million to coastal area

Orano Mining Namibia announced a once-off donation of 200,000m3 (200 million liters) desalinated water from its private water reserve to local authorities in Erongo region spread over the months of April and May.

The provision of this bulk volume of water at no charge will be distributed via NamWater from the Erongo Desalination Plant.The value of the donation is approximately N$ 6 million.

The donation is Orano Mining Namibia’s contribution to alleviate the needs of the communities of Henties Bay, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Arandis for continued access to clean water during the lockdown stages.

Orano Mining Namibia’s Managing Director, Tommie Gouws expressed hope that this donation will bring some relief to the economic pressures faced by the local authorities as they endeavour to provide free water to the communities in the region.

“We believe this would greatly assist in maintaining the vitally hygienic standards during the lock-down stages and beyond as we continue to mobilize national efforts,” Gouws said.

The Erongo Desalination Plant was originally built to supply water for Orano’s Trekkopje mine near Arandis, currently still in care and maintenance as a result of the continued depression in the uranium price. The private investment aimed primarily at servicing a mine of the same owner (Orano), and not intended to be a public infrastructure project.

Located 35 kilometres north of Swakopmund near the settlement of Wlotzkasbaken in the Namib Desert, it is the largest reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant in southern Africa.


 

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Donald Matthys

Donald Matthys has been part of the media fraternity since 2015. He has been working at the Namibia Economist for the past three years mainly covering business, tourism and agriculture. Donald occasionally refers to himself as a theatre maker and has staged two theatre plays so far. Follow him on twitter at @zuleitmatthys