Construction & Mining
NMP aims to Revolutionize the Namibian Economy with Phosphate Mining
N
amibian Marine Phosphate (Pty) Ltd (NMP) has put forward the benefits of a Phosphate Industry in Namibia, which include the creation of 50 000 plus jobs in the Mining, Agriculture, and Construction sectors, whilst perfectly aligning with the national policies and goals of Vision 2030 and Harambee Prosperity Plan, along with directly and indirectly affecting growth in sectors such as Mining, Agriculture, Engineering, Housing, Construction and Trade among several others. NMP is developing a world-class Sandpiper Phosphate Project located off the coast of Namibia. Namibia has one of the world’s largest undeveloped phosphate resources. Establishing a phosphate project and fertilizer industry in Namibia will offer many benefits according to NMP. NMP is a Namibian registered joint venture company. The shareholders of which are Mawarid Mining LLC from Oman and Namibian company Havana Investments (PTY)Ltd. A phosphate industry will position Namibia as an exporter of phosphate and fertilizer products, see an increase of in-country agricultural activity, create much-needed employment opportunities, and will require supporting industry services. Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorous. Phosphate is used in a variety of things some of those uses being a critical component in fertilizers and animal feed supplements. In addition,
phosphate is found in a variety of consumer products such as soft drinks, toothpaste, health products, cleaning products etc., and is used in industrial and manufacturing processes. Most phosphate is mined in North America, China, Morocco, the Middle East, and Oceania. These suppliers face significantly increased demand given the worldwide increase in food production, the loss of arable land to urban sprawl, desertification, climate variability, and growing populations. According to the NMP website, in 2008, scientists from Sydney’s university of technology and Sweden’s Linköping university warned that phosphorus supply could peak in 30 years, with reserves exhausted in 50 to 100 years. NMP claims the Sandpiper Phosphate Project will establish Namibia as a premier rock phosphate producer in the world. The Sandpiper Project could be the first building block for developing a fertilizer industry in Namibia. Namibia still imports the majority of the fertilizer products needed to underpin its agricultural industry at high cost resulting in less Agricultural activity. NMP claims that the Sandpiper Project could lead Namibia to become exporters of fertilizer, grow the Namibian Agricultural sector amongst many others, and also aid in global food security. The project has however received a setback, awaiting a court ruling on the validity of its
mining license based on a review application brought by three fishing associations (CNFA, Hake, Midwater) and a commercial fishing company, Omualu Fishing (Pty) Ltd, which was heard in the High Court of Namibia on 7th July 2020. In addition to the outcome of the Court case, NMP is awaiting the issuance of the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC). NMP has completed a substantial Environmental Impact Assessment, in accordance with the Environmental Management Act (2007), which included 18 consultive processes with the public and stakeholders, 28 independent specialist impact studies, a Verification Study, and 3 separate independent reviews commissioned by the Environmental Commissioners Office. The conclusion of the various studies states “NMP’s Sandpiper Phosphate Project will have no significant impact on the marine environment or ecosystem”. Despite the pending court ruling and the issuance of the ECC, NMP has called for a job registration drive, the company is confident in a positive court ruling and is therefore moving forward with preparations for the Sandpiper Project development. The Sandpiper Phosphate Project is set to create employment for over 600 Namibians (directly and indirectly) create opportunities for SMEs and other economic sectors, spend an estimated N$ 1 billion on civil and local infrastructure, require a capital investment of N$ 5.2 billion for the development, expect annual revenue of N$ 4.2 billion, contribute direct taxes of N$ 650 million/year and contribute royalties of N$ 78 million/year. 2020 - Construction & Mining Magazine
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