Rosh Pinah Zinc (RPZ) has commissioned a paste fill plant, Appian Capital Advisory Limited, which was announced on Friday.
Appian is a United Kingdom-registered firm that controls the mine through investor funds.
A paste fill plant turns mine waste into a paste that is pumped back underground into empty stopes (underground cavities) after the ore has been removed.
It reduces mining dilution and enables more efficient extraction of ore.
This will be Namibia’s first paste fill plant.
“The commissioning of the paste fill plant demonstrates RPZ’s ability to execute on key milestones and deliver modern, sustainable infrastructure. This achievement further strengthens RPZ’s operational foundation as we approach the final phases of construction,” Appian’s head of base metals, Ignacio Bustamante, says in a Friday press release.
The paste fill plant is part of RPZ’s RP2.0 expansion project. The expansion project aims to double production to 1.3 million tonnes per year.
Appian’s press release says the expansion is 85% complete, on schedule and within budget.
“The RP2.0 expansion project comprises further development of the underground mine, including a newly developed portal and decline to access extended underground deposits, enabling efficient extraction of ore from current and future orebodies on strike and down dip, as well as the construction of new surface facilities, including new paste fill, processing and water treatment plants,” Appian says.
RPZ is also hoping to expand its mineral resource base and extend the life of the mine through a diamond-drilling programme.
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