Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) has begun seeking long-term offtakers for sulphuric acid from a new plant at Skorpion Zinc Mine and Refinery near Rosh Pinah, which is expected to begin production within the next four to six months.
The plant will have a daily capacity of around 1,000 tonnes, producing sulphuric acid with a concentration of about 98%, suitable for industrial and metallurgical applications.
Skorpion Zinc, acquired by Vedanta Resources plc in 2011, has been under care and maintenance since May 2020. VZI said the acid plant forms part of a broader plan to revive the operation and extend its lifespan.
The company’s immediate focus is the Namzinc Refinery Conversion Project, designed to enable the co-treatment of both sulphides and oxides to produce refined metal. VZI said this would position Namibia as the only African country producing refined Special High Grade (SHG) zinc.
Once operational, the refinery is expected to produce 150,000 tonnes of refined zinc annually, with plans to ramp up output to 300,000 tonnes. Feedstock will be sourced from Gamsberg mine in South Africa and from Namibian mines, before being refined and exported.
