Zimplats advances Zim’s value-addition drive

ZIMPLATS, a leading platinum group metals producer, has made significant strides towards value addition and beneficiation through the construction of a new refinery.

The company recently acquired long-lead equipment for the refinery and is focused on installation and construction.

The refinery will produce nickel sulfate, copper plates and precious metals, significantly enhancing Zimbabwe’s export earnings.

Speaking during a tour of the company in Mhondoro-Ngezi last week, Mines and Mining Development minister Winston Chitando, said the value addition arose from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Zimplats signed with government for US$1,8 billion aimed at increasing mining capacity and facilitating value addition including the construction of a smelter and a refinery.

“The focus of this particular visit is looking at the value addition aspects of Zimbabwe, as provided for in the MoU, which is the construction of a smelter, which would then provide a feed for the refinery. That is why we are here, as you are aware, value addition and beneficiation is a key focus of the Zimbabwean public,” he said.

Chitando expressed satisfaction with Zimplat’s progress, emphasising the company’s commitment to government’s vision of value addition.

“I’m very pleased in the sense that Zimplats did not only sign an agreement but worked on the spirit of the agreement. All the major items to enable the operationalisation of the refinery have been procured and some are starting to be assembled.

“The next stage is to have some of the service and ancillary equipment put up and then the assembly of the various items,” he said.

Zimplats chief technical officer Amend Chiduma said the expansion, valued at US$3,98 million, was a crucial step in the value chain, providing the necessary feedstock for the refinery.

“We started off by building up the base, starting off with the mines, where we will be developing and upgrading two big mines, we have actually completed one of the mines, which is about US$82 million.

“We are also on course to complete the development and upgrade the second big mine, which ensures that in terms of our ore sources, it becomes sustainable because we have replaced the depleted mines, as we need the ore sources to be able to feed the next stage of the beneficiation,” Chiduma said.

“We are also building the power base as far as the power utility infrastructure. It is a new substation where we are injecting some US$17 million again to upgrade that power utility network and with the solar farm and the substation we are expanding, it means we are now ready to be able to supply power to the value addition complex we have here.”

He said Zimplats had acquired the circuits while awaiting assembling before commissioning.

“I think it’s important to note and emphasise that the smelter has two stages, furnace smelter and converter smelter and you see this expansion is almost three times the smelting capacity that we had.

“This opens up a lot of avenues in terms of being the best in being able to process the concentrates in the most other dead patches within this particular context,” he said.-newsda