Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) says it’s still moving ahead with plans to set up a smelter in Namibia.
“A prefeasibility study is under way for the setting up of a smelter, and refining in Namibia remains on the cards, with the cost of power being key,” VZI Executive Director and CFO Pushpender Singla said.
Singla made the comments while speaking to South African media after the company approved a R7-billion investment into the Gamsberg Phase 2 expansion project in the Northern Cape, which will double the mine and plant capacity from four-million tons to eight-million tons a year.
The Skorpion Zinc mine and refinery which were acquired by Vedanta Resources Plc from Anglo in 2010, having been in operation since 2003, were placed under care and maintenance in May 2020.
Currently a team of 35 employees look after the asset while the company is working on the conversion of the current Refinery, which once completed, will process Zinc concentrate from Vedanta Group companies located in South Africa to add value in Namibia and export the refined product.
Care and maintenance is a mining industry term used to describe processes and conditions when a mine is closed but where there is potential to recommence operations at a later date.
Comprising an open-pit mine and refinery, Skorpion Zinc is the largest integrated zinc operation in Africa according to VZI.-miningweekly/The Brief
