Major Zinc Processing Plant to Be Launched in Iran

With possessing more than 700 million tons of geological reserves of lead and zinc and about 170 million tons of extractable reserves, the Mehdiabad Lead and Zinc and Barite Mine Complex is considered the second largest reserve in the world, Director of the Complex Hamid Reza Hemayat stated.

The mine will start producing 800,000 tons of zinc concentrate and 80,000 tons of lead-silver concentrate in three phases, he said, adding that the first phase of the complex is proceeding to its final stages.

Once the first phase of this giant project is completed, the largest lead and zinc processing factory in the Middle East will come into being, Hemayat underlined.

He put the country’s current production capacity of zinc ingot and proven ingot production at 490,000 and about 220,000 tons respectively.

Regarding the supply of main infrastructures of this project, he said that the implementation of a plan to supply water to Mehdiabad Plant was launched with the construction of a 100-km pipeline from Yazd Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is considered the largest wastewater conveyance project in the country.

Hemayat also pointed to the $1 billion worth of investment needed for the operation of all phases of this giant project and put the investment made for the completion of the first phase of this project at $300 million.