Skorpion Zinc
Skorpion Zinc is a zinc mine in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia, producing Special High Grade (SHG) zinc. The mine is situated near Rosh Pinah. It was established at a cost of US$450 million by Anglo American in 2003. It is the tenth-largest zinc mine in the world, and the largest employer in Rosh Pinah, providing 1,900 jobs.
Aerial view of Skorpion Zink Mine | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
Skorpion Zinc Location in Namibia | |
| Location | Rosh Pinah |
| Region | Karas |
| Country | Namibia |
| Coordinates | 27°49′07″S 016°36′00″E |
| Production | |
| Products | Zinc |
| Production | 66,000 tonnes |
| Financial year | 2018 |
| History | |
| Opened | 2003 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Vedanta Resources |
| Year of acquisition | 2010 |
Skorpion is a unique mine in several ways. Firstly, it is a supergene zinc ore body composed of alluvial accumulations of zinc carbonate and silicate minerals of detrital nature deposited within a palaeochannel. There are no other currently commercially viable deposits of this type. It is also one of the few mines in the world that currently mines zinc oxides, a mixture of non-sulphidic zinc minerals such as smithsonite, hydrozincite, tarbuttite and willemite. Finally, it is the only zinc processing facility to use solvent extraction-electrowinning metallurgy to process and refine its zinc products (others using conventional smelting and roasting).
The Skorpion SX-EW plant creates Special High Grade, ultra-pure zinc cathode as a primary product, which is so low in impurities that it commands a price premium.
In November 2010 the project was acquired by Vedanta Resources at a cost of US$707 million. In 2019, Vedanta announced mining would be suspended for a four months due to technical problems. Then in 2020 Vedanta placed the mine on care and maintenance due to pit failures.