ZincOx to make accelerated Korean recycling plant its ‘flagship project’

ZincOx (LON:ZOX)chairman Andrew Woollett said the company’s plan to start zinc recycling in Korea, has had ‘terrific support’ and the recent provision of land for the plant has accelerated the project's development.

The company now expects the development of the Korean Recycling Project (KRP) to ‘leap-frog’ the Ohio Recycling Project (ORP), with first feed deliveries to the plant anticipated in December 2011 and first zinc production expected to follow shortly after.

“[The KRP] will be a flagship project for ZincOx and a showcase for the technology

,” Woollett said.
“While KRP has moved ahead of our plans to develop a plant in Ohio, the United States of America remains a strategic priority.”
Woollett emphasised that the company is maintaining its presence in Ohio, in anticipation of the construction of a recycling plant in the medium term.

Both the ZincOx plants will process electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), a by-product from steel recycling processes, to produce zinc. According to ZincOx, EAFD contains about four times more zinc than the average natural deposit. EAFD generally contains between 18% and 25% zinc.

In Korea, basic engineering is nearing completion, and detailed design work is scheduled to start this month.
The plant construction phase is slated to begin in 2011.

The company highlighted that the KRP is being designed to produce a high quality zinc oxide concentrate.
According to ZincOx, the “exceptional quality” of the concentrate will allow it to be added directly to a leach circuit of a conventional zinc electro-refinery.
Additionally, the operation will also produce low grade hot briquetted iron suitable for sale to steel mills and foundries.
Furthermore, the company also highlighted that it has already secured EAFD feed for the plant, through 10-year EAFD supply agreements with all the major scrap recycling companies in Korea, for a combined 400,000 tonnes per annum.
During Phase 1 the equipment purchased from Severstal North America, in January 2010, will be transported to Korea, where it will be used in combination with new equipment.
Initially, the KRP will treat 200,000 tonnes of EAFD annually, to produce 60,000 tonnes per annum of zinc concentrate (73% zinc) and 95,000 tonnes per annum of hot briquetted iron.
Phase 2 will proceed immediately after Phase 1 commissioning, and once complete it will double KRP’s production.
“Once ZincOx has demonstrated the efficacy of its recycling technology in Korea the company plans to develop similar recycling plants in Thailand, Turkey and North America,” the company stated.