our projects
WE HELP YOU PRESERVE THE PRECIOUS
WATER OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
eMalahleni
Water Reclamation Plant
Since its commission in 2007, the plant has been upgraded to treat approximately 45,000m3/day for Anglo American Thermal Coal after a Phase 2 build. Both phases of the plant have consistently produced high quality potable water at a water recovery of 99.0% to 99.5%.
The Phase 1 plant processes acid mine drainage from Anglo American Thermal Coal’s Greenside, Kleinkopje, South Witbank and Navigation collieries to produce drinking quality water for the local municipality. This flagship plant is the recipient of several industry awards and demonstrates our expertise in treating mine water at affordable rates for re-use, thereby generating new water resources. In line with our focus on zero waste, the pure gypsum sludge produced as a by-product of this process is sold to the manufacturing industry for use as gypsum board and building materials.
The Phase 2 plant prioritises the processing of high acidity Acid Mine Drainage from Anglo American Thermal Coal’s Navigation colliery to produce drinking quality water for the local municipality. This plant upgrade has allowed us to further showcase our operational expertise; by managing two large AMD water treatment plants next to each other, both of which receive vastly different feed water qualities. This translates into different complexities which need to be carefully operated and managed by a highly skilled Operations team.
This project has highlighted the collaborative value derived through long term client partnerships which Nafasi Water holds as a priority.
Optimum
Water Reclamation Plant
The purpose of the Optimum Coal plant near Hendrina in Mpumalanga is to treat the surplus of affected waters generated by the mine and its associated activities.
Initiated in October 2008, the Optimum Water Reclamation Plant (OWRP) is designed to treat 15,000 m3/day with a peak capacity of 18,500 m3/day. It treats water with a 98% water recovery, most of which is utilised by the local Hendrina Municipality, with the excess being discharged into the Klein Olifants River. Pure gypsum sludge as a byproduct from this plant is sold as a building material.
Due to the specific feed water quality in the region, the design of this facility differs from the other plants in that the upfront neutralisation reactors were not required. With the long-term dewatering requirements in the area, the plant expected to be functional beyond the life of the mine.
Middelburg
Water Reclamation Plant
The Middelburg Water Reclamation Plant (MWRP) was designed to be the world’s first Mine Water Treatment Plant producing zero brine, without the need for energy-intensive brine treatment technology.
The project was completed in June 2015 and is designed to treat 20,000 m3/day with a peak capacity of 25,000 m3/day. The plant treats water with a 99.7% water recovery, where the only liquid not leaving the plant as product water is the moisture in the dewatered sludges.
Zero Brine is achieved through expert membrane design, and an operational team who can consistently operate a highly technical plant on the edge of current membrane capability. Pure gypsum sludge as a byproduct from this plant is sold as building material.
Erongo
Seawater Desalination Plant
The Trekkopje Uranium Project in the Erongo desert region of Namibia is a low-grade, shallow uranium deposit that is mined by opencast methods. With the lack of groundwater and surface water resources, the abundantly rich mineral reserves in the area, as well as the associated water-intensive nature of mineral extraction, desalination was the only viable solution to support the development of the Orano Resources uranium mine.
Won against stiff international competition, the Erongo seawater desalination plant was designed and constructed by Nafasi Water – the first significant plant constructed in Southern Africa. Located approximately 30km north of Swakopmund, the plant began delivering water for mine activities in May 2010, and is currently operated and maintained under contract by Nafasi Water. The plant is capable of delivering 54 000 million m3/year of treated water pumped approximately 50km in an overland pipeline to the Trekkopje mining site. The intake system draws sea water from the ocean, 1km offshore, and caters for the potential water demand of 45 million m3/per year in future.
Nafasi Water uses advanced ultrafiltration membranes to manage pre-treatment of the nutrient rich waters of the Namibian coastline where red tide is common. This allowed us to maximise the efficiency of the pre-treatment processes. Eleven parallel ultrafiltration trains were installed, followed by nine parallel reverse osmosis trains.
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