Skorpion Zinc to go massive

Augetto Graig - Skorpion Zinc mine and refinery, located on the outskirts of Rosh Pinah, is a unique operation; the only zinc refinery in Africa, recovering zinc metal from zinc oxide orebody from its own open pit using hydrometallurgical means. Skorpion to produces a highly sought-after product that is listed on the London Metal Exchange thanks to the specialized process technology, and various ISO accreditations, and to its quality at 99.995% pure zinc. Skorpion has been a flagship of Vedanta Zinc Internationl since aquiring it from Anglo merican in 2010. Last year significant geotechnical instabilities in the open pit resulted in slope failures and the painful decision to place the asset under care and maintenance as of 1 May 2020. Vedanta has, however, put the stoppage to good use, progressing with feasibility of its massive N$6.2 billion Refinery Conversion and expansion plan, according to metallurgist and head of the Business , Eliakim Tshiningayamwe. He calls Skorpion Zinc the ‘jewel in the desert’.Standby, get ready“The situation after we closed prematurly in May 2020 due to the slope failure in the open pit was that we decided to stop mining for the safety of our personnel, and to put the mine on care and maintenance. But there is still ore left and we have completed the geotechnical review and re-designed the open pit with an improved factor of safety, thus we are ready to go back and safely extract the remaining ore. Further to completing the existing ore in the open pit, we are currently conducting a feasibility study for underground mining, as we have established availability of ore that can be accessed through underground means,” he said. Regarding the refinery conversion, he said nine out of ten preparation boxes are already ticked, with regulatory approval for the new roaster, transportation of acid and concentrate and acid storage plans approved, while engineering design and the business case has been concluded. “N$190 million was already spent on the environmental impact and other studies, which are all very advanced, and we are in final discussions regarding operating and capital expenditure,” he said. Having joined Skorpion zinc right out of school and moving up through the ranks over the last 14 years, Tshiningayamwe said Vedanta’s success in extending the Life of Mine after the acquisition in 2011, from 2015 to 2017, and again to 2020, was remarkable. This is evidence of Vedanta’s intentions of contioned existance and investment in Namibia, he said. “We continued to focus and spend on exploration,” he said.Big potentialHe talks passionately about the potential development to convert and expand the existing operation, add more value to Namibian minerals and realise the potential to make the //Karas Region an economic hub. The make or break question now is availability of reliable and affordable electricity supply, Tshiningayamwe added. “Engagements with Nampower and key stakeholders are in progress in this regard,” he said adding that the expanded refinery will require 160MW total installed capacity, approximately 20% of the national demand, “which is huge”. Nevertheless, the groundwork has been laid with clearing and servicing of needed land, building roads and setting up support infrastructure. The current production capacity of the plant is about 150 000 tonne per year, which is set to double with the conversion, enabling the plant to process both the zinc oxide from its own open pit, as well as zinc sulphide concentrate from other sources like Rosh Pinah Zinc next door and, significantly, Vedanta’s massive Gamsberg operation in the northern Cape in neighbouring South Africa. Truck traffic“We are looking at annual trucking of over 600 000 tonnes of concentrate from South Africa through the Oranjemund border to the Skorpion site, and trucking our refined metal, about 300 000t, to the port of Lüderitz, as well as trucking and storing the excess sulphuric acid we are producing to Lüderitz. The plan is to construct sulphuric acid storage facilities so that we ship it from there into the open market,” he explained.The impact on the region is exemplified through estimates that traffic at Lüderitz port will increase by approx 35% while revenue for the harbour town could increase by 20%, he said. Once operational, the revamped Skorpion Zinc could also significantly impact state entities, for example Nampower, Namwqar, Namport, Transnamib, and others, he added. Neccesities like fuel, protective clothing, power, water, cleaning and security are all to be acquired locally.National impact“I must stress the possible impact of this on the country. We plan a lot of local spend; a lot of spend in this region. This has huge potential for turning the //Karas region into an economic hub. Skorpion Zinc will again be one of the biggest employers in //Karas, joining Namdeb and the fisheries industry as the top three,” he said. At the peak of construction, the project is estimated to to employ up to 2 500 people, mainly through its business partners providing civil, mechanical and electrical engineering services. Once operational, the new refinery will have a workforce of around 1 300, he said. Safety is always a top priority at Skorpion Zinc, Tshiningayamwe stressed. “The mining and processing environment is extremely risky and can result in mass fatalities if not managed properly. Working with heavy equipment, pressurised vessels, chemicals, high currents that threaten electricution, moving parts, people working at heights that could fall to the ground: As management, we have the responsibility to ensure our workers are not exposed to harm and can go home safely at the end of the day. To achieve this, we employ various mechanisms including monitoring and tracking, reporting and risk management. Skorpion has a fairly good safety recond,” he said.“We want to go green. That is the way the world is heading, towards green energy. Vedanta already has the lead as one of the biggest energy producers in India, and in //Karas there are good resources in terms of wind, the sun and green hydrogen opportunity warrants a closer look,” he said. Zinc metal from Skorpion Zinc refinery is in demand particularly in the galvanising industry and as the active compound in the manufacture of paint. Much is used in the coating of steel, while a small percentage is used for the production of pharmaceuticals and fertiliser. augetto@republikein.com.na

Skorpion Zinc to go massive

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Republikein 2026-02-03

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Skorpion Zinc to go massive

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