TransNamib carries mining forward
TransNamib carries mining forward

TransNamib carries mining forward

Augetto Graig
AUGETTO GRAIG

Transporting massive amounts of freight is key to making the painstaking extraction of resources from the earth as lucrative as the minerals, gemstones and raw sources of energy are worth.

In Namibia the national railway company, TransNamib, has been serving the mining sector for over 20 years.

“And we still continue to do so. However, this is a very competitive environment and we do face competition from road transport trucks,” says TransNamib spokesperson Struggle Ihuhua.

Mine-related cargo makes up roughly 25% of all the freight that TransNamib moves around the country, with the Walvis Bay-Kranzberg-Tsumeb line being the most popular route for heavy loads, he says.

“We mostly provide pit-to-port railway solutions to our mining customers. However, due to declining commodity prices, the closure of some mines and fierce road competition, our drive to consolidate loads on the rail has not met our expectations,” Ihuhua says.

“Some of our mining customers are Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb for copper concentrate and sulphuric acid, Ohorongo Cement for coal, Rössing for sulphuric acid and ammonium nitrate, Namagra for marble blocks, the Salt Company for salt, and the Walvis Bay Bulk Terminal, which deals with coal.”

There are no plans to connect more mines to the rail network at this stage. Active mines not yet connected include Rosh Pinah Zinc Mine, Skorpion Zinc Mine, Tschudi Mine, Husab, Langer Heinrich, Trekkopje, Navachab, B2Gold and Namdeb, Ihuhua says.

Obstacles TransNamib faces in providing freight transport to the mining sector include dwindling commodity prices and a lack of direct rail links to most of the mines.

The national rail operator coordinates its product offerings and services with the local mining community by offering a -one-stop logistics solution tailored to the customer’s needs and expectations. TransNamib also works with Namibian mines by providing dedicated and fit-for-purpose equipment, Ihuhua says.

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Republikein 2024-11-19

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