Green Metals Refining Namibia (GMRN) plans to establish a manganese refinery and sulphuric acid plant east of Walvis Bay, with operations expected to commence by 2027, subject to environmental approvals.
The refinery is designed to produce battery-grade manganese for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, expected to take 12 months, is currently underway. Construction will begin once the EIA and Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) are approved.
“The construction start date will be subject to an approved EIA and the issuing of the ECC. The construction phase will be approximately 15 months. The planned operational date for the refinery and sulphuric acid plant is Q1 2027,” GMRN said.
The project will be executed in phases, with full operational capacity expected by 2032. Stage 1 will see the refinery processing 25 kilotons per annum (kt/a) of manganese and producing 500 tons per day (t/d) of sulphuric acid. Production will increase to 50 kt/a and 1,000 t/d in Stage 2, and 100 kt/a of manganese and 2,000 t/d of sulphuric acid in Stage 3.
Power and water demand will rise accordingly, starting at 5 megavolt-amperes (MVA) and 30 cubic meters per hour (m³/h) in Stage 1, scaling up to 25 MVA and 80 m³/h by Stage 3.
The manganese refinery will involve multiple processes, including crushing, grinding, reduction, acid leaching, and purification, to produce high-purity manganese. The final product, high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM), is a key component in battery manufacturing.
“The sulphuric acid plant is an essential part of the GMRN project, primarily used for the reductive leaching of manganese ores in the refinery process. It is likely to be supplied as elemental sulphur from industrial producers, as is common in sulphuric acid plants,” the company stated.
The plant will generate sulphuric acid by combusting elemental sulphur to produce sulphur dioxide (SO2), which will then be converted into sulphur trioxide (SO3) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4). Excess sulphuric acid will be sold to other industrial sectors in Namibia.
“The sulphuric acid plant will play a crucial role in the refining process. It will also generate excess sulphuric acid that will be sold to other industrial sectors in Namibia,” GMRN noted.
The project is expected to create significant employment opportunities, with approximately 250 people hired for the operational phase, and up to 80 staff on duty at any given time. The construction phase will see a peak workforce of around 500 employees.
GMRN highlighted that the project’s proximity to the international port in Walvis Bay will help minimize import and export costs.
“The location of the project at Walvis Bay offers proximity to a reliable international port to reduce import and export costs. GMRN will obtain its supply of manganese ore primarily from the Kalahari Manganese Field, located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa,” the company stated.
Namibia, recognized for having some of the highest direct normal irradiation values for solar energy globally, is working towards establishing an integrated renewable energy system to support green hydrogen production and exports.
The manganese refinery project is currently in its Environmental Scoping Phase.
