Name of the Project
Titanium beneficiation project.

Location
The project is located at the Richards Bay industrial development zone, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The KwaZulu-Natal government has allocated 65 ha for the plant.

Project Owner/s
Chemicals manufacturing company Nyanza Light Metals, in partnership with the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ).

Project Description
The project entails the construction of a titanium beneficiation facility for the manufacturing of titanium pigment.

The plant will produce titanium dioxide pigment from titaniferous slag and acid from Evraz Highveld Steel and Vanadium, with conventional ilmenite and rutile.

Construction will entail two phases.

Phase 1 involves the construction of a technical services centre, which will house a semiproduction plant. The plant will operate for a year to allow for the completion of the preconstruction engineering for the main commercial plant.

Phase 2 entails the construction of the main plant.

The plant will use 320 000 t/y of sulphuric acid, 36 000 t/y of ammonium sulphate, 380 000 t/y of lime and 250 000 t/y of feed material to produce the titanium dioxide.

The project will produce about 80 000 t/y of titanium dioxide pigment at peak production, which it will sell locally and export to the rest of Africa and the Middle East.

Potential Job Creation
Nyanza will create 1 200 jobs during the construction phase and 550 direct permanent jobs once the plant is fully commissioned.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The project involves an investment of R4.5-billion.

The technical services centre is estimated at R200-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Phase 1 is expected to be implemented between June 2020 and June 2021, Covid-19 permitting.

Phase 2 is expected to be implemented between November 2021 and December 2023.

Latest Developments
Construction of the plant is under way.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Grinaker-LTA (Phase 1 contract); Intertek (quality control and assurance partner).

Contact Details for Project Information
Nyanza Light Metals, tel +27 11 684 1286 or email hello@nyanzametals.com.