Chris Griffith has been appointed CEO of Vedanta Resources’ Base Metals unit and President of its International Businesses, including Namibia, with effect from October 2,2023.
“We are delighted to welcome Chris to Vedanta as the CEO for Base Metals & President: International. Chris’s growth mindset, along with a strong commitment to sustainability, aligns perfectly with Vedanta’s core values,” said Vedanta Group Chairperson Anil Agarwal.
“I am excited to take on this new role at Vedanta, one of the world’s most exciting and fast-growing mining and metals companies. I look forward to driving innovation, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth across Vedanta’s Base Metals businesses,” Griffith said.
In Namibia, the group owns the Skorpion Zinc mine and refinery, which were acquired from Anglo in 2010 and were placed under care and maintenance in May 2020.
Currently, a team of employees looks after the asset while the company works on the conversion of the current refinery.
Once completed, the refinery will process zinc concentrate from Vedanta Group companies located in South Africa to add value in Namibia and export the refined product.
However, the business has been listed as part of a larger disposal of Vedanta’s international zinc operations.
The proposed transaction, announced in January and valued at N$51.5 billion (US$2.98 billion) in cash, will see Vedanta’s 100% stake in HL Zinc Namibia Holdings and a 69.6% stake in Black Mountain Mining sold to Hindustan Zinc Limited.
The proposed transaction will allow Hindustan Zinc to acquire two major zinc operations, Skorpion Zinc in Namibia and Black Mountain Mining in South Africa, and expand its international footprint.
The move will also allow Vedanta to focus on its core operations, reducing its debt and simplifying its corporate structure.
