BCL to commission P2.8bn tailings plant

| Friday July 23, 2010 00:00

 

The nickel mining company has partnered with Global Initiatives in an unprecedented cooperation towards the mining and extraction of  residual metals contained in BCL's tailings dam and slag dump in Selebi-Phikwe. The Selebi-Phikwe mine has an estimated tailings resource of over 100 million tonnes and 45 million tonnes of slag. Contained in the tailings and slag resource is approximately 300, 000 tonnes of nickel of which 50 percent can be recovered. Global Initiatives has obtained cutting-edge extractive technology from China that enables the company to extract the nickel from the tailings and slag dumps. Other metals such as copper and cobalt are also contained within the dumps, of which Global Initiatives intends to recover as part of this process. A treatment plant is to be commissioned at BCL within the next 12 to 24 months with operations due to start within the same period. Prior to this, further evaluation and metallurgical tests of these dumps will be conducted by an independent international consulting firm within the mining sector which will take the project up to bankable feasibility stage. Nonetheless, initial testing suggests that value does exist within the BCL tailings and slag dump.

With a total capital cost estimate of approximately $400 million, the plant will be able to treat 40, 000 tonnes of combined tailings and slag per day. BCL is reportedly one of the first public entities to engage in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) towards enriching Botswana for and by Batswana citizens and is undoubtedly pioneering the drive towards this national initiative. BCL General Manager Mr Montwedi Mphathi commented: 'This is a significant step for BCL, in achieving its strategic theme of partnering with other players to extract value out of its waste products. We are pleased to have partnered with Global Initiatives, a Botswana company, owned by Batswana in this venture. We recognise the significance of this and are keen to demonstrate that such partnerships are not only possible but can also create significant value.'

Global Initiatives' Chairman, Makgekgenene, says: 'This is an important development for the Botswana economy in the sense that it will prolong the economic activity in this area for many years. Nickel will remain a significant foreign exchange earner for Botswana and will provide jobs in this area through this project.

'As a Motswana, I am proud that the beginning of a legacy has begun that is initiated by Batswana in partnership with the Botswana government for the betterment of Botswana.'

He added: 'Over the past five years, our group has acquired significant mining interests in Burundi, Namibia and Rwanda. We are extremely glad to have planted our footprint in Botswana where we can bring our wealth of experience to this mineral-rich country.'