Photo by: Bloomberg
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The board of Zimplats and its parent company, Impala Platinum, have given their respective approvals for the development of a $264-million platinum mine in Zimbabwe.
The Mupani mine is a new 2.2-million-tonne-a-year underground complex, which will employ about 1 000 staff at full production. The mine will replace production from the Rukodzi and Ngwarati mines, once these have been mined out and closed.
Zimplats, which is listed on the ASX, reported on Wednesday that the development of the main underground access infrastructure would take about 37 months to complete, allowing first mining teams to be deployed from early 2021.
The project will reach its design capacity by 2025, and will have a mine life of about 34 years. Once commissioned, the mined ore will be beneficiated in the Ngezi/Selous processing facilities and smelted in the Zimplats furnace.
The project is expected to increase Zimplats’ mineral reserve by three-million ounces, to nine-million platinum ounces.
Zimplats reported that early project work, including mining the box cut and constructing the main access road, project offices and essential infrastructure, had already started in June.
The box cut was completed this month and preparations to start developing the main underground access have been initiated.