By Rochelle Neidel
TSUMEB – One of the largest capital projects in Namibia’s mineral processing industry, the N$2.7 billion gas-cleaning and sulphuric acid plant at Dundee Precious Metals’ copper smelter in Tsumeb, is progressing well and on target for completion.
The plant will be commissioned by mid-2015, said Jim Kastelic the senior spokesperson at Dundee Precious Metals in Tsumeb.
Kastelic said by early this month civil works for the state-of-the-art plant were more than 90 percent complete and mechanical installations had reached the 75 percent completion stage.
“Piping, cables and cable racking were more than 20 percent complete, and electrical panels have been installed. Moreover, preparations for next year’s cold commissioning are in progress and the recruitment of maintenance personnel has begun,” he said.
He further maintained that civil construction has started for the installation of two new Peirce-Smith converters, which upon completion will tie into the acid plant project.
A converter is a large cylindrical furnace that transforms molten copper matter into blister copper which is the main product of the Tsumeb smelter.
The moving of the converter shells to the converter aisle is scheduled for April 2015 and the installation will commence by June.
Commissioning of the converters was due to take place this month.
Overall, the gas-cleaning sulphuric acid plant project is aimed at eliminating problematic sulphur dioxide gas released during the copper-smelting process. In recent years many residents of Tsumeb expressed dissatisfaction over the gasses emitted during the smelting process.
“From an environmental perspective, the plant will finally solve the issue of sulphur dioxide emissions that have plagued Tsumeb residents since the smelter opened in 1963.
“Once completed, the new plant will capture and convert sulphur dioxide into a value-added by-product, namely sulphuric acid, which will be sold to Namibia’s uranium mines for use in their production processes. Currently, these companies import sulphuric acid from abroad,” Kastelic said.
The new plant will produce between 270 000 and 340 000 tons of acid annually.
Kastelic further noted that the project will employ hundreds of skilled and semi-skilled workers and use dozens of Namibian-based suppliers of goods and services.
“This, in turn, is leading to the direct injection millions of dollars into the local and national economies. When complete, the plant will create 50 to 60 highly skilled jobs,” he said.