Deep Yellow subsidiary Reptile Uranium Namibia (RUN) is seeking an amendment to its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a new 220kV power line at its Tumas Uranium Project in the Namib Naukluft National Park.
The proposed 22km-long transmission line will connect to the existing NamPower Van Eck–Kuiseb 220kV line through a new switching station.
The connection is planned south of the C14 road, approximately 62km east-southeast of Walvis Bay and 19km south of the future Tumas processing plant. The line will cross the C14 and proceed northwards toward the project site.
“Accordingly, a new 220kV powerline, branching off from an existing 220kV line to the south and across the C14 road to the Tumas Project is now proposed,” RUN stated.
The company emphasised that this development follows limitations at the previously planned source.
“As the Kuiseb Substation reached its current connection capacity, a powerline connection from this substation to the Tumas Project is not currently available,” RUN said.
The new infrastructure is intended to replace the earlier approved 132kV line from the Kuiseb Substation, which now lacks sufficient capacity for the project’s energy needs.
“The proposal is to connect to the existing ‘NamPower Van Eck – Kuiseb 220kV powerline, by means of a new 220kV switching station,” the company noted, adding that the route “will cross the C14 road following largely a northerly alignment towards the Tumas Project area,” the company said.
The Tumas Project was granted a Mining Licence (ML 237) in December 2023 by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, following an approved EIA and Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
Now, RUN is applying to amend the current ECC to include the proposed power line.
“RUN, herewith gives notice in terms of the Environmental Management Act, 7 of 2007 and Regulations 19 and 21 of the EIA Regulations (January 2012), of their proposal to apply for an Amendment of their current ECC, to allow the construction of the proposed new 220kV powerline,” the company stated.
Namisun Environmental Projects & Development has been appointed as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner to undertake the EIA for the amendment application.
Public participation is currently underway as part of the regulatory process.
This comes as Deep Yellow Limited earlier this month confirmed that uranium production at its Tumas Project is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2026, contingent on favourable uranium term prices.
The announcement follows the company’s successful capital raising of N$2.7 billion in March last year through a placement to fund the project’s development.
The Tumas Project, held under Licence 237 and fully owned by Deep Yellow, is poised to become Namibia’s fourth uranium mine, joining Rossing, Husab and Langer Heinrich.
According to the company’s latest half-year financial report, the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project has been pushed to early 2025 due to delays in cost assessments and equipment procurement.
