Rent-A-Drum announces its plans to construct an Engineered General & Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal facility, a first for Namibia
Speaking at the opening of various Stakeholder Events held in Swakopmund on 11-12 September, the Managing Director of Rent-A-Drum, Riaan Vermeulen, said they will develop Namibia’s first A-Class hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility near Arandis, Erongo region. This pioneering national project aligns perfectly with the Solid Waste Management Strategy of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, whilst also representing a major and responsible step forward to support the waste management infrastructure goals as underlined in Namibia’s 6th National Development Plan. Séché Environnement, the holding company of Rent-A-Drum, will avail its expertise in the treatment of the complex waste streams, and will also help to support the ecological transition of the local industry to raise Namibia’s environmental standards.
A dedicated treatment facility with state-of-the-art equipment
The Namwaste Management Facility, located 17km north of the town of Arandis, will cover 177 hectares of land and collect a minimum of 60,000 tons of waste per year. It will cater for the mining industry and all other producers of specifically hazardous waste at a national scale, including the emerging needs of the oil and gas industry. It will support industrial players in their ecological transition, in applying the most demanding waste management standards, whilst guaranteeing protection of the environment.
The facility is designed to accommodate any type of waste, from general waste to arsenic dust, drilling cuttings, oil and grease, autoclave waste, asbestos, etc. It will operate on the best international standards and will include a detailed tracking process from the production sites to the disposal cells.
Before final disposal, the waste will be treated to render it inert and thus eliminate any possibility of air or underground pollution. In addition, the disposal cells will be built with a containment barrier composed of three layers of geomembrane and a leak detection system.
This major project confirms Rent-A- Drum’s commitment as a leading provider of waste management and environmental services.
It also represents a concrete and structured response to the evolving Regulations regarding hazardous waste treatment, as desired by the Namibian authorities and industry players.
A project serving the Erongo Regional Community
The establishment of this facility in the Erongo region is part of a comprehensive approach to environmental preservation, public health protection, and local job creation.
It will help limit the impact of hazardous waste on ecosystems and populations, while stimulating the region’s economy through the creation of around 40 new permanent jobs.
Furthermore, as part of its direct contribution to the development of local communities, under the impetus of the !OË-#GÂN Traditional Authority and in coordination with the #GAINGU Conservancy, Rent-A-Drum, in partnership with Orano Mining Namibia, has committed to funding local development programs. As part of this, the company will develop the Spitzkoppe borehole water desalination plant and also finance the operations and maintenance of the plant over an initial period of ten years.
“We sincerely thank the Namibian authorities for the trust they have placed in us. It is a great source of pride for Rent- A-Drum to develop such an innovative project for the country. By adding Seche’s international expertise in hazardous waste management to our local experience, Rent- A-Drum aim to sustainably support the ecological transition of local industries and together raise environmental standards to the highest level,” says Gys Louw, Chairman of the Board of Rent-A-Drum.
“The Namwaste Management Facility will bring a solution to protect our environment and the health of the population in the long term. This project is the fruit of a long- standing commitment led by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in conjunction with the Chambers of Mines and Environment, and the private sector. NMF will definitely be a departure point to improve our Regulation and to meet the best standards in the world,” said the Environmental Commissioner of Namibia, Mr Timoteus Mufeti.
Considering the current challenges for hazardous waste disposal in Namibia, Rent-A-Drum has proposed a temporary waste storage solution that was authorized by the Environmental Commissioner on 3 September 2025. This temporary storage facility is envisaged to be completed before the end of 2025 and will facilitate seamless disposal of the stored waste when the construction of the disposal facility is completed, which is expected to coincide with enforcement of the new anticipated Hazardous Waste Management Regulations.
Extracted from The Brief publication on 18 September 2025.
