Green Metals Refining Ltd (GMR) has appointed Fabian Shaanika to the board of Kudu Chemicals (Pty) Ltd, its wholly owned Namibian subsidiary, as the company advances plans for a N$1.03 billion sulphuric acid plant near Walvis Bay.
Kudu Chemicals is developing the plant as part of Namibia’s broader industrialisation drive, with the project facilitated by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB).
The facility is expected to reduce Namibia’s reliance on imported sulphuric acid and support a growing pipeline of mining and energy projects.
According to scoping study which supports the viability of the project, indicates that the first phase will produce 175,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid annually, with a pre-tax internal rate of return of 20%.
Production is expected to scale up to 720,000 tonnes per year once the project reaches full capacity.
GMR Founder and Chief Executive Derk Hartman said the development will address a critical supply gap in the domestic market.
Namibia remains a net importer of sulphuric acid, with demand expected to increase as copper, uranium, rare earth and fertiliser projects expand.
In addition to supplying GMR’s planned battery-grade manganese refinery, the plant will supply acid to other mining operations, while also generating surplus baseload electricity and process steam.
Hartman said several local operators have already expressed interest in securing supply from the facility.
The project is expected to play a strategic role in strengthening Namibia’s upstream and midstream industrial capacity as demand for inputs linked to energy transition minerals continues to rise.
