ZincOx Resources Nears Completion of Zinc Dust Recycling Plant

ZincOx Resources plc, Surrey, U.K., has announced that commissioning of the first phase of its two-phase zinc recycling project in Korea is near completion. The company expects the plant to be operational by the end of April 2012.

The first phase in the project will produce nearly 49,000 tons per year of zinc from steel industry waste. The cost of the project is $110 million. When complete, the second phase of the project will add another 43,000 tons per year of zinc. Additionally, the company says that at full capacity the plant will be able to produce around 180,000 tons per year of iron product.

According to a ZincOx , the plant has been divided into two zones. Zone 1 includes electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) unloading, coal pulverization, binder preparation, briquetting, drying and screening. Commissioning of Zone 1 is complete, and briquettes have been tested in the plant’s laboratory. The tests have shown that the briquettes are of excellent quality and after heating demonstrated high zinc removal and iron metallization, according to the company.

ZincOx adds that more than 600 metric tons of briquettes have been produced and are waiting to feed the furnace.

ZincOx says the plant’s Zone 2 includes a rotary hearth furnace (RHF), gas handling system and hot briquetting tower. The RHF has been operated in a cold state with good briquette loading and discharge and is ready for production, the company says.

ZincOx adds that the gas handling system is ready for operation. The hot briquetting tower is awaiting hot DRI for final commissioning. The RHF’s burners are being tuned and then the furnace will be gradually heated up over a two-day period.

In announcing the completion of the project, Andrew Woollett, ZincOx chairman, says, “We set ourselves an ambitious development schedule when we started this project 18 months ago. So, notwithstanding the very fast track approach taken in this development, I am delighted to report that the project has, to date, been developed within budget and without a single lost time injury. I look forward to reporting the start of production within a fortnight.”