The Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade has announced that the first phase of Mehdiabad Lead and Zinc Complex located in the central Yazd Province will be completed by the end of fiscal 2021-22 as the largest lead and zinc processing plant in the Middle East.
According to the director of Mehdiabad Lead and Zinc Complex, this project has achieved significant progress in the areas of mining, plant and infrastructure, and despite international sanctions, all the equipment have been supplied against all odds.
“The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization, in accordance with the rules and regulations in the fiscal 2016-17, put on auction the opportunity to invest in Mehdiabad Mine as the largest lead and zinc reserves in the country, as well as in financing and executing mining operations, construction of factories and provision of infrastructure,” Amin Safari was also quoted as saying by IMIDRO.
“Some 77 million tons of extraction and tailings have been carried out at a depth of 180 meters and about 7 million tons of oxide minerals have been extracted and minerals used in the sulfide plant have been procured.”
Safari noted that plant construction operations are planned in three phases, the first two phases are for the production of 400,000 tons of sulfide concentrate and the third phase is related to the extraction of oxide soil.
“The [annual] production capacity of plants with the full commissioning of all the phases of this project are 800,000 tons of zinc concentrate with a grade of at least 35% or equivalent as the main product and 80,000 tons of lead-silver concentrate with a grade of 60% lead as the byproduct,” he said.
“Currently, the first phase of the project is being implemented rapidly to build a plant with 2 million tons of input and an equivalent of 200,000 tons of zinc concentrate with 55% physical progress.”
The total investment required for this project is estimated at nearly $1 billion and in the first phase, more than $167 million have been invested.
"According to the plan, the first phase will be put into operation at the end of fiscal 2021-22 and with the launch of this project, more than 2% of the metal in the world will be produced in Mehdiabad," he said.
So far, more than 500 people have been directly employed in this project, most of whom are locals and after the operationalization of the project, this figure will reach 1,500.
This is one of the biggest Iranian projects that has been 60 years in the making, but it has now been implemented by IMIDRO and the private sector for the past three years, IRNA reported.
Latest data show major Iranian lead and zinc producers extracted 655,850 tons of ores during the first eight months of last Iranian year (March 20-Nov. 21, 2020), down 1% compared with the same period of the year before.
According to the latest data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization, Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex accounted for the highest share of the total output with 618,625 tons, similar to the same period of last year, while Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant accounted for 37,225 tons of the total output, indicating a 20% decrease year-on-year.
The monthly output of lead and zinc amounted to 71,602 tons, for the month to Nov. 21, down 9%, compared with the eighth month of the previous fiscal year. Angouran Lead and Zinc Complex and Nakhlak Lead and Zinc Plant extracted 67,695 tons of ores during the month under review, indicating an 8% decline YOY.
The two producers extracted an aggregate of 977,343 tons of ores in the last fiscal year that ended on March 19, 2020.
Based on the Industries, Mining and Trade Ministry’s plans, after the zinc deposits in Angouran Mine deplete, Mehdiabad Mine is expected to become the main supplier of lead and zinc to domestic industries.
Zinc is used in alloys of brass, nickel, silver and aluminum, and also in galvanizing steel structures. The metal is widely used in the manufacture of products such as paint, rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastic, ink, soap, batteries, textile and electrical equipment.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Iran holds the world's largest zinc, ninth largest copper, 10th largest iron ore, fifth largest gypsum and barite, and 10th largest uranium reserves.
