The commissioning of the plant is said to be a significant milestone in line with the company’s progress on development of the Etango project.
An integral step of the detailed engineering and financing phases, the plant will allow the company to demonstrate the design and projected performance estimated in the definitive feasibility study, maintain and build project knowledge, and pursue value engineering.
Bannerman Resources CEO Len Jubber said: "The commissioning of the demonstration plant coincides with the Chinese government approving construction of two more units at the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning province, marking the first approval for new reactors in four years."
Said to be the largest constructor of new reactors, China intends to accelerate its nuclear energy program with plans to increase electricity generation from nuclear plants to 58 GW by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030 from the current 21 GW.
In China, currently there are 24 reactors in operation, 25 under construction and 189 on order, planned or proposed, according to Bannerman Resources.
Image: Officials at Bannerman Resources’ heap leach demonstration plant in Namibia. Photo: courtesy of Bannerman Resources Limited.
