An ammonium nitrate emulsion (ANE) plant was inaugurated at Rooikop on Friday, the first of its kind in Namibia.

Located 25 kilometres from the Port of Walvis Bay, the Rooikop plant is owned and operated by Orica and is a result of a partnership with Native Holdings, who has provided the site and is the manufacturing permit holder.

Zak Kotze of Orica said the company aims to supply all customers countrywide by offering state-of-the-art bulk technologies for both surface and underground operations.

“These products together with the whole technology portfolio of Orica, will help our customers to improve safety conditions on their operations, which will reduce drill and blast costs, optimising energy to obtain desired blasting outcomes and to improve productivity along their value chain,” he said.

According to Manager of Operations Excellence-Africa at Orica, Pontsho Maja, the plant was designed with the environmental impact in mind.

“The construction was able to avoid significant disturbance to the local ecosystem by using minimal amounts of material,” Maja said.

The plant uses the New Oil Inverse System for Emulsification (NOISE) which is a way of manufacturing ANE formulas. This is the first time NOISE technology has been used in Namibia.

Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration and Safety, Frans Kapofi in a speech delivered on his behalf expressed optimism that the establishment of the plant will add value to Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product as well as contribute to employment.

“Further, these developments should certainly be welcomed by role players in the mining and road construction industry as they will no longer have to wait for supply from elsewhere, hence contributing to efficiency in their business operations,” Kapofi noted.

The minister has appealed to business communities to invest their money into the local market, so as to grow the country’s economy.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency