Tin mining company AfriTin in early December moved the first ore to the plant at its Uis tin mine, in Namibia, setting the company on its way to reaching its goal to re-establish the country as a major player in the tin mining industry.
The company also undertook a blast at a targeted area of the mine to facilitate excavations.
Namibian Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo had the honour of supplying the first ore feed to the plant and detonating the explosives.
AfriTin CEO Anthony Viljoen said this was a “momentous” occasion, with the company delivering on investment and operational targets promised to Namibian entities and the company’s stakeholders.
“We want to establish the region as one of the prolific tin mining areas in the world,” he stated.
Namibia used to be the fourth-biggest exporter of tin, but its industrial-scale tin mines had since closed down.
The Uis mine was previously owned by former South African State-owned company Iscor, which closed the mine in 1989.
AfriTin expects to extract cassiterite from Iscor’s old mine workings.
Iscor mined 12 different pits, and AfriTin is mining in a pegmatite field that runs for many kilometres, with room for more development, according to the company.
Early December marked the start of the Phase 1 pilot plant and the recommissioning of tin production at the mine.
The company has invested considerably into executing Phase 1.
It views Uis as a definite and valuable asset, with a long projected life-of-mine and high levels of mineralisation.
The run-of-mine feed to the plant is projected to be half-a-million tonnes a year. The plant is in close proximity to the V1/V2 pegmatite bodies on the mine.
Alweendo expressed his pleasure at AfriTin’s investment in Namibia.
“Namibia’s economy is [driven by] mining. We hope that, when we see investors coming in, it is because of the favourable mining environment.”
Namibia has had a consistent mining law since 1992, presenting it as an attractive option for companies, he said.