Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA could soon become the only country in Africa that will be able to export special high-grade zinc if plans to build a N$6.5 billion refinery at Rosh Pinah in the south are finalised.
Vedanta Zinc International has announced plans to build the N$6.5 billion project that will make the country a net exporter of zinc.
Besides the beneficiation of Namibian zinc, the Namzinc Refinery Conversion Project will also create roughly 2 000 jobs.
According to the Vedanta announcement, the initial production capacity is planned to refine150 000 tonnes of the metal per annum while the final target will see the refinery processing as much as 300 000 tonnes per year.
The miner said in a statement that a significant amount of work has already been put into the project planning. The project will be finalised if the feasibility study is found to be bankable.
Once construction is completed, the refinery will be able to process zinc produced in Namibia as well as zinc concentrate from other parts of the world.
The project is however anchored in zinc concentrate that will come from the Gamsberg mine in South Africa.
The project’s success depends on few critical factors of which the most significant is availability and affordability of electricity.
The company is currently in discussions with the government and other key stakeholders to ensure the availability of affordable electricity.
