GLENCORE PLANS REDUCED SULPHUR EMISSION FOR ITS ZAMBIAN SMELTER

It will not be until next year when mining company, Mopani will be able to capture sulphur dioxide emissions at its Mufulira smelter.

Despite this measure coming after 81 years of operations, amid emissions of these toxic gases, company Chief Executive Officer, Danny Callow says the plans are within the time schedule.

Government had tasked Mopani copper mines to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by year 2015 but the company has averred that it will finish this project in 2013, 18 months ahead of the set time frame.

Mr Callow has explained that currently Mopani is capturing almost half of the emissions, which it has been converting to sulphuric acid since 2006.

He has disclosed that upon completion of project, 97 per cent of sulphur dioxide emissions will be captured at the Mufulira smelter, a feat Mr Callow says will be of world class standard.

The Mufulira smelter is Zambia’s oldest copper ore processing plant with operations have started in the 1930s.

Mopani Copper mines, which owned by the Swiss-based Glencore group, has invested at least 2 billion dollars to re-develop its Zambian assets since the year 2000 after privatisation.