German experts to rehabilitate mine dumps

A GROUP of geologists and environmental engineering experts are currently in Namibia to explore the possibility of rehabilitating old mine dumps and abandoned mining sites.

GUB Engineering Association is a consortium of three German engineering companies with expertise in environmental remediation, landscaping and rehabilitation of mainly former coalmines in former East Germany. “After some 15 years of experience in this field obtained from large remediation projects at home, we now want to expand internationally,” said Dr Dietmar Grießl, Managing Director of GUB Engineering.”We are thinking of the tailings of the copper mine at Tsumeb or Uis for instance,” Grießl added.According to him, technology has advanced tremendously in the past few years to allow the mining of old mine dumps for metals that could not be extracted in the past.”While rehabilitation is done, such metals can be extracted in the process and costs for re-landscaping and remediation of the environment can be covered.”According to Grießl, the transfer of skills and know-how to Namibians would be a key element.”We also think of engaging Namibian partners in our enterprise, should our discussions be fruitful,” Grießl told The Namibian at the end of last week, before travelling to Tsumeb to hold talks with the management of the Ongopolo copper mine.The experts also met Government officials from the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Mining and Energy as well as the Geological Survey.They also intend to travel to Angola to discuss similar projects with the Angolan government in Luanda.According to the General Manager of the Namibia Chamber of Mines, Veston Malango, there are over 200 abandoned mining sites in Namibia and most of them were just left without rehabilitation.”If the project ideas of the German experts materialise this will not only create jobs locally, but also help the environment,” Malango told this newspaper.”After some 15 years of experience in this field obtained from large remediation projects at home, we now want to expand internationally,” said Dr Dietmar Grießl, Managing Director of GUB Engineering.”We are thinking of the tailings of the copper mine at Tsumeb or Uis for instance,” Grießl added.According to him, technology has advanced tremendously in the past few years to allow the mining of old mine dumps for metals that could not be extracted in the past.”While rehabilitation is done, such metals can be extracted in the process and costs for re-landscaping and remediation of the environment can be covered.”According to Grießl, the transfer of skills and know-how to Namibians would be a key element.”We also think of engaging Namibian partners in our enterprise, should our discussions be fruitful,” Grießl told The Namibian at the end of last week, before travelling to Tsumeb to hold talks with the management of the Ongopolo copper mine.The experts also met Government officials from the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Mining and Energy as well as the Geological Survey.They also intend to travel to Angola to discuss similar projects with the Angolan government in Luanda.According to the General Manager of the Namibia Chamber of Mines, Veston Malango, there are over 200 abandoned mining sites in Namibia and most of them were just left without rehabilitation.”If the project ideas of the German experts materialise this will not only create jobs locally, but also help the environment,” Malango told this newspaper.