Editing Namibia (section)

===Mining and electricity===
{{main|Mining in Namibia}}

Providing 25% of Namibia's revenue, mining is the single most important contributor to the economy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mining in Namibia|url=http://www.nied.edu.na/divisions/projects/SEEN/SEEN%20Publications/Environmental%20Information%20Sheets/Development%20and%20Environment/4.%20Mining%20in%20Namibia.pdf|publisher=NIED|access-date=26 June 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510004055/http://www.nied.edu.na/divisions/projects/SEEN/SEEN%20Publications/Environmental%20Information%20Sheets/Development%20and%20Environment/4.%20Mining%20in%20Namibia.pdf|archive-date=10 May 2011}}</ref> Namibia is the fourth largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa and was the world's fourth largest producer of [[uranium]]. There have been significant investment in [[uranium mining]] and Namibia planned to become the largest exporter of uranium by 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infomine.com/publications/docs/Mining.com/Feb2008e.pdf|publisher=MINING.com|title=Mining Uranium at Namibia's Langer Heinrich Mine|last=Oancea|first=Dan|date=February 2008|access-date=16 April 2010|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051609/http://www.infomine.com/publications/docs/Mining.com/Feb2008e.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> However, as of 2019 Namibia continued to produce 750 tons of uranium annually making it a smaller than average exporter in the competitive world market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mining.com/web/70-years-of-global-uranium-production-by-country/|title=70 years of global uranium production by country|first=Govind|last=Bhutada|date=23 September 2021|publisher=Visual Capitalist Elements|via=Mining.Com|access-date=24 June 2022|archive-date=8 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808065922/https://www.mining.com/web/70-years-of-global-uranium-production-by-country/|url-status=live}}</ref> Rich [[Alluvium|alluvial]] diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://technology.infomine.com/articles/1/99/deep-sea-mining.undersea-miners.black-smoker/deep-sea.mining.and.aspx|title=Deep-Sea Mining and Exploration|last=Oancea|first=Dan|publisher=Technology.infomine.com|date=6 November 2006|access-date=26 August 2017|archive-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627093407/http://technology.infomine.com/articles/1/99/deep-sea-mining.undersea-miners.black-smoker/deep-sea.mining.and.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> While Namibia is known predominantly for its gem diamond and uranium deposits, a number of other minerals are extracted industrially such as [[lead]], [[tungsten]], [[gold]], [[tin]], [[fluorspar]], [[manganese]], [[marble]], [[copper]] and [[zinc]]. Country's gold production in 2015 is 6 metric tons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold production |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/gold-production?tab=table |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129233804/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/gold-production?tab=table |archive-date=29 November 2023 |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Our World in Data |url-status=live }}</ref> There are offshore gas deposits in the Atlantic Ocean that are planned to be extracted in the future.<ref name="usds">{{cite web|date=26 October 2010|title=Background Note:Namibia|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5472.htm|access-date=26 August 2017|publisher=[[United States Department of State|US Department of State]]|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021205038/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5472.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to "The Diamond Investigation", a book about the global diamond market, from 1978, [[De Beers]], the largest diamond company, bought most of the Namibian diamonds, and would continue to do so, because "whatever government eventually comes to power they will need this revenue to survive".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap1.htm|title=The Diamond Investigation, chapter 1 by Edward Jay Epstein, in an interview with Harry Frederick Oppenheimer owner of De Beers|publisher=Edwardjayepstein.com|date=4 December 1978|access-date=10 September 2013|archive-date=19 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919080623/http://edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although much of the world's diamond supply comes from what have been called African [[blood diamonds]], Namibia has managed to develop a diamond mining industry largely free of the kinds of conflict, extortion, and murder that have plagued many other African nations with diamond mines. This has been attributed to political dynamics, economic institutions, grievances, political geography, and the effects of neighbourhoods, and is the result of a joint agreement between the government and [[De Beers]] that has led to a taxable base, strengthening state institutions.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=South African Security|title=Diamonds Without Blood: A Look at Namibia|author=Nathan Munier|date=1 March 2016|volume=9|issue=1|pages=21–41|doi=10.1080/19392206.2016.1132903|s2cid=147267236}}</ref>

Estimates updated in 2022 suggest that two exploration wells in the offshore Orange Basin could hold 2 and 3 billion barrels of oil, respectively. The expected revenue could transform Namibia's domestic economy and facilitate sustainable development goals.<ref name="bra1">{{cite news|last1=Brandt|first1=Edgar|title=Namibia: Orange Basin potential shoots up to billions of barrels|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202204080598.html|access-date=13 April 2022|agency=allafrica.com|publisher=AllAfrica, New Era|date=8 April 2022|archive-date=13 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413084910/https://allafrica.com/stories/202204080598.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Domestic supply voltage is 220 V AC. Electricity is generated mainly by thermal and hydroelectric power plants. Non-conventional methods of electricity generation also play some role. Encouraged by the rich uranium deposits, in 2010 the Namibian government planned to erect its first nuclear power station by 2018. Uranium enrichment was also envisaged to take place locally.<ref name=Saveorsink>{{cite news|title=Uranium: Saving or sinking Namibia?|last=Weidlich|first=Brigitte|newspaper=[[The Namibian]]|date=7 January 2011|url=http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2011/january/article/uranium-saving-or-sinking-namibia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113120601/http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2011/january/article/uranium-saving-or-sinking-namibia|archive-date=13 January 2011}}</ref>