Vedanta Resources has started to develop the US$630 million Gamsberg zinc project, in South Africa, located some 20 km east of its existing polymetallic underground Black Mountain mine. The open pit mine, which is expected to produce its first ore in early 2018, will produce a zinc concentrate, which it will deliver to the company’s refinery at Skorpion Zinc in Rosh Pinah, Namibia. Vedanta is spending some US$150 million upgrading the Rosh Pinah refinery to be able to process Gamsberg concentrates.
Gamsberg is expected to have a productive life of 13 years and its 250 kt/y of zinc metal in concentrate will help replace output from the company’s Lisheen mine, in Ireland, which will close at the end of this year.
Vedanta starts development of US$630 million zinc mine: VED