Dundee Precious Metals Aim to Reach 100% Railway Transportation
Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPM Tsumeb) of Namibia aims to increase the volume of goods transported via railway based on the railway operator, TransNamib addressing the existing challenges the company is facing.
The company is a subsidiary of Dundee Precious Metals Inc. is a Canadian-based international gold mining company with operations and projects located in Bulgaria, Namibia, Ecuador and Serbia.
Currently, approximately 90% of the company’s concentrate is transported by rail through TransNamib, with the remaining 10% by road.
Dundee said in response to questions that the ideal plan is to transport its concentrate by rail, as it is the most cost-effective and safest means of transport.
The company is committed to working with TransNamib to resolve the current challenges it faces in moving its cargo.
Between June 2023 to June 2024 the company transported 198 068 tons of bulk copper complex concentrate, 34 839 tons of blister copper and 255 929 tons of sulfuric acid of 255 929 tons. The company primarily transport bulk copper complex concentrates from the port of Walvis Bay to the smelter at Tsumeb.
Once processed, the final product, blister copper, is transported from Tsumeb to the port for distribution to its clients worldwide. Additionally, the company utilises TransNamib to transport sulfuric acid, a byproduct of its smelting process, to its clients along the coast and in northern Namibia.
Dundee transported a total of 390 000 tons of bulk copper complex concentrate, blister copper, and sulfuric acid in 2022, and 430 000 tons in 2023, marking an increase of 40 000 tons from the previous year, statistics provided by the company showed.
The challenges Dundee faces with railway transportation include the safety of its commodities due to train derailments, secondly, turnaround time of locomotives from the port to the smelter and lastly, the shortage of rolling stock and aging fleet, both of which directly impact production.
The company said as for the performance shortfalls, these are addressed according to the contractual agreement. Dundee’s current production results in smelting between 200 000 to 230 000 tons of copper containing concentrates.
Regarding the importance of Namport ports to its operations and how Dundee utilises them, the company said Namport serves as the gateway between Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb and its clientele.
Namport provides offloading and loading capacity for bulk concentrates and copper blister vessels, facilitating transportation to and from Walvis Bay for its clients in South America, Europe, and Asia.