PERTH (miningweekly.com) – A key water licence for the Prieska copper/zinc project, in South Africa, has been granted.
Project developer Orion Minerals on Thursday said that the 20-year water use licence was granted by the National Department of Water and Sanitation, and includes permission for mine dewatering to proceed, as well as wet tailing sand wastewater storage and management, and to use water for mixing mine waste for void back-filling.
“The grant of the water use license for the Prieska copper/zinc project is a major milestone for the company and removes the largest remaining regulatory hurdle before the construction of the mine can commence,” said Orion MD and CEO Errol Smart.
“Many of the banks and potential strategic partners that we have been dealing with have flagged the outstanding licence as a major concern that could potentially hold up an investment decision.
“We are pleased that this key outstanding approval has now been received, clearing the way for construction and development of our planned new state-of-the-art base metal operation to commence at Prieska.”
The A$378-million project is currently expected to produce at a rate of 2.4-million tonnes a year, producing 189 000 t of copper and 580 000 t of zinc in its ten-year foundation phase.
Orion in March postponed debt financing activities for the development of the Prieska project until global macroeconomic and market conditions stabilise in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.