Tag Archives: Rosh Pinah

Appian Capital to take on Rosh Pinah zinc-lead mine in Namibia

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Appian Capital Advisory LLP, the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private capital funds that invest in mining and mining-related companies, has acquired an 89.96% interest in the producing Rosh Pinah zinc mine, in the Kharas region in southern Namibia, from Trevali Mining Corporation.

Rosh Pinah is an operating underground zinc-lead mine with a 2,000 t/d milling operation, which has plans in place – via the Rosh Pinah 2.0 mine expansion project – to nearly double the mine’s annual ore throughput to 1.3 Mt and improve safety and environmental performance. The mine has been in continuous operation since 1969, producing zinc and lead sulphide concentrates, as well as smaller amounts of copper, silver and gold.

Appian says it will retain the existing site management team and workforce, who have substantive technical expertise and understanding of the asset.

Michael W Scherb, founder and CEO of Appian, said: “This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Appian as we continue to develop our world-class portfolio of highly attractive zinc assets, a critical metal that will help facilitate the upcoming energy transition. We look forward to welcoming the 450 employees at Rosh Pinah to Appian as we utilise our extensive operational and project development expertise to support the existing management team with delivering the Rosh Pinah 2.0 expansion project. We extend our gratitude to the Namibian government, our valued partners, and the local community for their trust and support.”

The Rosh Pinah 2.0 expansion project envisages the construction of new processing facilities, including the addition of a paste fill and water treatment plant, as well as a dedicated portal and decline to extended deposits. The project will increase mill throughput from 700,000 t/y to 1.3 Mt/y, increasing zinc equivalent production to 170 MIb/y (31,751 t/y), on average.

Trevali, the former 89.96% owner of Rosh Pinah, said previously that the expansion could also lead to the introduction of battery-electric vehicles at the mine.

Rosh Pinah is one of three recent investments by Appian in the zinc market, with the other two being Vedra Metals in Italy and Pine Point in Canada. It did not disclose the acquisition price for the stake in Rosh Pinah.

Trevali weighing battery-electric vehicle use in expanded Rosh Pinah plan

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Trevali Mining has flagged the potential use of battery-electric vehicles at its Rosh Pinah underground zinc-lead-silver mine, in Namibia, as one route to further reduce the operation’s greenhouse gas emissions if an expansion of throughput goes ahead.

Writing in its just-released 2020 Sustainability Report, the company said the Rosh Pinah expansion, known as RP2.0, could lead to an increase in the underground mining fleet and, with that, the potential use of battery-electric vehicles.

In addition, the company said it was considering increasing the capacity of the underground mobile fleet from 30 t to 60 t trucks for more efficient transportation of material to surface, resulting in better fuel efficiency and reduced ventilation load. The company was also looking to use solar power for at least 30% of the annual energy consumption as a starting point – an aspect the company is close to achieving after signing a a 15-year renewable Power Purchase Agreement with Emerging Markets Energy Services Company (EMESCO) for the supply of solar power to Rosh Pinah in April.

In 2020, Trevali published a positive prefeasibility study on RP2.0, which is projected to increase the throughput of the mine from 700,000 t/y to 1.3 Mt/y, with an 11-year life of mine, post-expansion.

Trevali intended to achieve this through the modification of the processing plant, construction of a paste fill plant, and development of a dedicated portal and ramp to the WF3 deposit.

A feasibility study for the RP2.0 project is underway and is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, with an investment decision thereafter. If approved, construction could commence in the March quarter of 2022, with commercial production potential achieved by the June quarter of 2024, Trevali said.

Trevali taps EMESCO for solar power contract at Rosh Pinah mine

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Trevali Mining has entered into a 15-year renewable Power Purchase Agreement with Emerging Markets Energy Services Company (EMESCO) for the supply of solar power to its Rosh Pinah zinc-lead-silver mine in Namibia.

Trevali has committed to achieving an overall greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 25% by 2025 from its 2018 baseline, with the PPA anticipated to deliver 30% of Rosh Pinah’s power requirements during the life of the agreement and reduce GHG emissions at the company level by 6%.

EMESCO will be responsible for the design, permitting, financing and implementation of a solar energy system on a neighbouring property at no cost to Trevali. EMESCO will then sell the power generated to Trevali at a fixed rate that is expected to reduce energy costs by 18% over the 15-year term of the agreement.

EMESCO was chosen based on a variety of factors, including expertise in the field of renewable energy, an understanding of the scope of work required, the ability to execute and deliver on Trevali’s requirements, and pricing, the miner said.

If Trevali makes a positive investment decision on the RP2.0 expansion project, which could see output rise to 3,600 t/d from 2,000 t/d, EMESCO will increase the delivery of power to Rosh Pinah to remain at 30% of the mine’s annual energy consumption as regulated by the Modified Single Buyer framework in Namibia, it added.

Ricus Grimbeek, President & CEO, said: “Our sustainability program commits to significant reductions in GHG emissions, and with the signing of this agreement with EMESCO we have taken a major step towards delivering on our commitment by securing renewable energy while also reducing our expected energy costs.

“The agreement with EMESCO has been designed to scale with the output of the mine so that when we are ready to make the decision to build the RP2.0 Expansion project, the delivery of power will increase to match our requirements.

“We are extremely excited by this partnership at Rosh Pinah and continue to study ways to reduce Trevali’s GHG emissions and deliver on this and our other sustainability targets.”