Wia Gold Limited is considering a 33% increase in processing capacity at its Kokoseb gold project in Namibia, from 5.25 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to about 7Mtpa, after an engineering review found the existing mine schedule could potentially support the higher throughput.
The review, undertaken by SENET, a DRA Global Group company, assessed what modifications would be required to preserve the option of expanding the processing plant beyond the capacity outlined in Kokoseb’s Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS).
Wia said a preliminary assessment found that the current mining schedule could potentially support a 7Mtpa processing plant without changes to planned mining activities, partly due to surplus ore and significant medium-grade stockpiles generated over the life of the mine.
The company is considering incorporating expansion-enabling provisions during the current engineering phase rather than retrofitting the plant if a decision to expand is made later.
Wia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Henk Diederichs said this would give the company flexibility to pursue higher throughput in future.
“The engineering review has identified a number of design provisions that can be incorporated to preserve a capital-efficient pathway to expansion optionality. This allows us to retain the option to expand throughput, avoiding the greater cost and disruption of retrofitting an operating plant,” Diederichs said.
SENET identified the grinding circuit as the main constraint to increasing processing capacity and recommended raising installed power for both the SAG and ball mills from 12 megawatts (MW) to 15MW, together with modest increases in mill dimensions.
Other proposed changes include larger pre-leach and tailings thickeners, higher-capacity cyclone distributors, additional space for future expansion of the leach and carbon-in-pulp circuits, increased conveyor and pump allowances, and provisions for additional filtration and utility infrastructure.
Incorporating the recommended provisions is estimated to add about US$9.3 million to process plant capital costs, equivalent to approximately 2% of Kokoseb’s US$475 million DFS pre-production capital estimate.
The US$9.3 million estimate was prepared at an AACE Class 4 level and is expected to be refined during detailed engineering.
Diederichs stressed that the proposed provisions do not change the existing Kokoseb mine plan, Ore Reserve estimate or development strategy.
“Importantly, these expansion-enabling provisions do not alter the DFS mine plan, Ore Reserve estimate or development strategy announced in August 2026. Rather, they are intended to preserve flexibility for expansion opportunities that may be evaluated as Kokoseb advances,” he said.
Wia is also assessing water and power infrastructure to determine whether these systems could accommodate a larger processing facility in future.
The company said no decision has been made to increase processing capacity beyond the current 5.25Mtpa DFS design, while the proposed expansion provisions have not been incorporated into the DFS economic analysis.
“Any future plant expansion would remain subject to further engineering studies, updated economic evaluations, regulatory approvals, market conditions, funding availability and Board approval,” Wia said.
