Navachab:Navachab Gold Mine has announced plans to increase its annual mining capacity to between 28 million and 29 million tonnes, significantly up from its previous level of approximately 10 million tonnes. This ambitious target was revealed by Managing Director George Botshiwe during a recent media day.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Botshiwe highlighted that the mine is currently operating at over 21 million tonnes and is set to expand further, effectively tripling its production rates. The increase in capacity is largely attributed to the implementation of new technologies, which have also more than tripled the mine's processing capacity.

The new technologies integrated at Navachab include a pre-concentration plant featuring dense media separation (DMS) and X-ray transmissive sorting (XRT) technologies. Botshiwe explained that these innovations are crucial for the mine, which deals with low-grade ore—approximately one gram of gold per tonne.

Botshiwe emphasized the challenge of making low-grade ore profitable. The pre-concentration process enhances the grade of the ore by using technology to produce a higher-grade concentrate, which is then processed further. DMS, commonly used in diamond processing, has been adapted by Navachab for gold, marking a first in the industry by leveraging gold's high density for separation from waste material.

Additionally, the mine employs X-ray transmissive sorting, akin to airport security scanning technology, to improve processing efficiency. Botshiwe noted that these technologies are part of Navachab's strategy to make its operations more efficient and profitable, using less water and power compared to conventional gold processing methods.