Environmental study for Haib copper mine has begun

A Canadian company wants to mine copper deposits on the Orange River near Noordoewer and has commissioned an environmental impact assessment. Approximately 2.8 million tonnes of copper are to be extracted there. Haib Minerals, a company registered in Namibia, is a subsidiary of Koryx Copper Inc., a Canadian copper exploration company focused on the further development of the wholly owned Haib Copper Project in Namibia.


The Haib Copper Project is located approximately nine kilometres northeast of Noordoewer. The Haib River begins at Warmbad and flows into the Volstruis River, which in turn ends in the Orange River. The Orange River flows immediately south of the Kupfermiene site boundary. The Haib deposit extends across the Volstruis River, which carries water during the rainy season. However, this location complicates copper mining. The deposit was discovered during the German colonial era, but its remote location in the middle of high, rugged mountains has repeatedly deterred investors. The Haib copper project is located about 25 km northeast of Noordoewer on the southern border of Namibia. The planned activities include an open-pit copper mine, an on-site processing plant, tailings and waste storage facilities, a solar power plant, access roads,


and power and water lines.


The construction period will be two to three years, and the mine's lifespan is estimated at around 19 years. A maximum of 2,500 workers will be needed during the construction phase, and approximately 1,140 during the mining phase of the operation. General and industrial waste will be transported away and disposed of at a suitable recycling or disposal facility outside the site. A dedicated waste management and recycling facility and a wastewater treatment plant will be built on site to treat hazardous waste and wastewater. The project's water requirement is 20 million cubic metres per year, either from the Orange River or the Neckartal Dam.


To register as an interested and affected person or party, or to obtain the background document, please visit the following website: HaibESIA@knightpiesold.com. Project information will be available for inspection and comment until 31 August 2025 at the village administration office in Noordoewer, at the Kharas Regional Council building in Keetmanshoop, and online at https://www.knightpiesold.com/pa/haib. Only one public consultation on this environmental study is scheduled, which will take place on 11 August in the auditorium of the EHW-Baard Primary School in Noordoewer. The public can obtain information there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the hearing will begin at 5.30 p.m.