Zamanco Minerals Limited is to develop a manganese smelter in Serenje, central Zambia, at a cost of US$60mn
The plant will have a production capacity of 60,000 tonnes per annum of high carbon ferromanganese and 12,000 tonnes per annum of 95 per cent low carbon manganese metal.
Freestop Environment Services' principal consultant, Shadreck Nsongela, said in a statement that the project would create 146 permanent jobs and many more temporary jobs would be created during the plant construction period.
"Zamanco Minerals Limited intends to develop a manganese smelter at Pensulo near the ZESCO substation in Serenje. The total cost is estimated at $60mn," said Nsongela.
The project implementation includes land clearing and earth moving, preparation of access routes, drainage, foundations, construction of plant infrastructure and support facilities and installation of equipment.
The site infrastructure will include primary crushing plant, secondary crushing plant, screening plant, beneficiation and buffer storage, ore storage facilities and smelting plant.
The project is expected to be implemented next year while operation will commence in 2015 with full production coming on stream in July 2015.
The project will create a total of around 300 jobs and social responsibility programmes will be initiated by Zamanco in consultation with the local community.
Nawa Mutumweno
