Hindustan Zinc Ltd has awarded Bateman Engineering its first major project in India to a value of approximately $35 million.

The lump sum turnkey contract covers the 1 million tonnes/year zinc concentrator expansion at Rampur Agucha Mines Bilwara, 225km north of Udaipur in Rajasthan State.

In June 2006, Bateman Engineering opened an operational office in India to serve the minerals and metals sectors in that region.

The Rampur Agucha Mines Bilwara expansion involves procurement and commissioning of new equipment to be installed adjacent to the existing plant and will increase the processing capacity to about 4.75 million tonnes/year of ore (which grades 12.8% zinc and 2% lead).

Work has already started and the project is due to be mechanically completed by the end of this year.

Bateman Engineering CEO Dr Sivi Gounden says: "This is an exciting development for our organisation as the award of a substantial contract by a major mining house will enable Bateman Engineering to accelerate the planned growth of our operation in India.

"In line with our global growth strategy, Bateman India will, in executing the contract, access the long-established expertise and technological resources of the worldwide Bateman Engineering group, in combination with cost effective services, equipment and material supplied from our new Asian locations."

Elsewhere, HZL's 170,000 tonnes/year hydrometallurgical zinc refinery at Chanderiya, 120km east of Udaipur, and the associated 154 MW power plant were commissioned in May 2005, built at a total cost of $335 million.

A second 170,000 tonnes/year hydrometallurgical facility is being built, at a total cost of $300 million, at Chanderiya along with a 77 MW captive power plant.

This second unit and the captive power plant are expected to be commissioned by 2008.

News sourced from International Mining Project News - www.im-mining.com