1. Presentation to COM Environmental Management Action Plan
2017 WBSH
Presentation to COM Environmental Management Action Plan
29 June 2017

2. 0. Overview of the presentation
Brief background & Foot print
Capacity expansion history
Corporate structure
Salt Markets
Salt at its best
The work of the Env Management Department
Successes of the Department
Challenges of the Department
What to include in COM Strategic Plan

3. 1. Brief Background & Footprint
Salt field operation based at Walvis Bay
One of largest solar evaporation facilities in Africa, having 6000 hectares under water.
Processes over 50 million m3 of seawater to produce in excess of 750kt of high - quality salt pa

4. 2. Capacity expansion history
WBSR characterized by a couple of successful capacity upgrades over the past 50 years:
1964 : Operation established, brine from boreholes, only crystallizers 16 & 17
1994 – 2000:
WBSH registered as a Namibian company
Crystallizers 10 – 14 added
2018 : kt

5. 3. Corporate Structure Walvis Bay Salt Holdings (Pty) Ltd
Salt & Chemicals (Pty) Ltd
100% owned by WBSH
Holds Mining License
Owns field assets
Walvis Bay Salt Refiners (Pty) Ltd
100% owned by WBSH
Manufacturing Company
Produce Coarse Salt (bulk & bagged)
Ekango Salt Refiners (Pty) Ltd
75% owned by WBSH
Produce Refined Salt (bagged)
Notes:
All 4 companies are Namibian registered
25% of Ekango held by 2 Namibian BEE consortiums

6. 4. Salt Markets Salt Markets To Europe To Middle East Bulk Salt Brasil
Bagged Salt
Potential

7. 5. Salt at its best

8. 6. Work of the environmental management department
Salt contamination determinations
– sources: airborne and surface soil lead and copper
Operational monitoring of compliance of mine activities to permit conditions and legislative requirements
Coordinating EIA’s
Providing applicable environmental feasibility of projects
Applying and coordinating the issuing of applicable permits
Stakeholder consultations
Presenting the interest of WBSH at public meetings/stakeholder consultations
Creating awareness on relevant themes: water, wetland day, Ramsar sites and its importance etc

9. 7. Successes of the Env Management Department
EIA conducted which was followed up by an update (2010 and 2014)
Mine Closure and Rehabilitation Plan compile and approved
Environmental Management Policy integrated with Quality Management
General awareness about relevant environmental issues has improved

10. 8. Challenges of the Env Management Department
Controlling hydrocarbon fuel pollution
Being understaffed
No research budget
Proliferation of EIA’s of proposed projects without a Strategic Env Assessment to take into account the cumulative impact
Tourism concessions in mining licence areas creating conflict in respect of accidents/ injuries or reportable incidents

11. 9. What to include in the COM Strategic plan
Research of relevant issues to deliver independent source of information (peer review process)
EIA review body/pool of reviewers to assist MET with peer review of EIA’s for development projects
Training on concept of Environmental Management
The use of ISO as a benchmark

12. THANK YOU !