Green Metals Refining Ltd (GMR) has secured environmental approval for its planned manganese refinery and N$1.03 billion sulphuric acid plant at Farm 58 in Walvis Bay, clearing a key regulatory hurdle ahead of construction and a final investment decision.
The company said the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism issued an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) on 9 October 2026 following an assessment of the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan for both projects.
The approval advances GMR’s plans to establish local production of battery-grade manganese chemicals and sulphuric acid, reducing Namibia’s reliance on imported industrial chemicals while supporting the mining and mineral processing sectors.
GMR founder and Chief Executive Officer Derk Hartman said the approval had reduced regulatory risks associated with the developments.
“With the Environmental Clearance Certificate in hand for both the manganese refinery and the sulphuric acid plant, GMR has significantly de-risked the projects. This approval is a strong endorsement of our responsible development strategy and our commitment to Namibia’s long-term industrialisation,” Hartman said.
The environmental clearance brings both projects closer to construction readiness, although the company has yet to make a final investment decision.
GMR previously announced plans to invest N$1.03 billion (US$59 million) in the sulphuric acid plant, which is expected to initially produce 175,000 tonnes of acid annually.
According to a scoping study conducted by Namibia-based Creo Engineering Solutions, production capacity could increase to 720,000 tonnes annually once the facility is fully developed.
The plant is intended to supply sulphuric acid to GMR’s proposed manganese refinery and other industrial customers, particularly mining operations involved in copper, uranium, rare earths and fertiliser production.
Hartman previously said Namibia’s dependence on imported sulphuric acid, combined with anticipated demand from new mining and industrial developments, presented a commercial opportunity for local production.
“Namibia is currently a net importer of sulphuric acid, with demand expected to grow due to expanding copper, uranium, rare earth and fertiliser projects. It is expected to deliver a solid return on investment (pretax IRR of 20%) based on an initial capital cost of US$59 million,” he said in September 2025.
GMR said the sulphuric acid plant could also generate surplus baseload electricity and process steam for industrial use.
The company has meanwhile completed advanced metallurgical testwork for the manganese refinery’s pre-feasibility study and is progressing a tender process to appoint an engineering firm to undertake the sulphuric acid plant’s feasibility study.
GMR said it had engaged environmental specialists, regulators, government ministries and interested and affected parties during the environmental assessment process to address potential environmental and social impacts.
“We are grateful to the team of specialists who worked tirelessly to secure this outcome, and we appreciate the constructive engagement from the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. Their support has been instrumental in advancing both projects,” Hartman said.
The company is developing the projects through three wholly owned Namibian subsidiaries.
Green Metals Refining Namibia (Pty) Ltd is responsible for the manganese refinery, while Kudu Chemicals (Pty) Ltd is developing the sulphuric acid plant.
Foxtrot Industrial Developments (Pty) Ltd will provide infrastructure and shared services for the two facilities, with the potential to accommodate other industrial users.
The projects form part of efforts to expand Namibia’s mineral beneficiation and industrial processing capacity by producing higher-value products locally rather than relying primarily on raw material exports.
