MINERALS PROCESSING SUPPLEMENT Stainless steel production in Zimbabwe a possibility In his presentation at the recent mining beneficiation conference held at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, John Parker, acting MD of SNC-Lavalin’s Johannesburg office, said stainless steel production has the potential to contribute to that country’s economy. A Mining Review Africa exclusive. “T he conference focused on identifying ways to make Zimbabwe’s mining sector a key driver of economic growth and stainless steel is an obvious choice,” Parker comments. “Zimbabwe is already a nickel and ferrochrome producer, which makes it feasible for the country to produce stainless steel, which would be a value- added product that is in line with the government’s beneficiation strategy.” In his opinion paper, Parker says stainless steel has great future growth potential and many niche markets in Zimbabwe. The country already has an established history of nickel mining and refining at its Empress and Bindura facilities, as well as the Zimplats refinery. Known prime nickel resources include the Trojan, Shangani and Hunters Road nickel mines, together hosting approximately 386 000 t in reserves and resources. In addition, nickel as a by-product of local Platinum Group Metal (PGM) production is estimated to be 10 000 tpa. Chrome is also available in abundance and, in terms of iron, Zimbabwe has long been a steel Zimplats smelter in Zimbabwe producer through the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO), located outside Kwekwe in Redcliff, with an historical steel production capacity of 1 Mtpa. Parker says negotiations around the revival of ZISCO are in progress, with remaining known iron resources at the Mwanesi Ranch in Chivhu estimated at 30 Bnt. In terms of markets for stainless steel, Parker says global growth in both the A section of the concentrator plant at Bindura Nickel Corporation 52 MINING REVIEW AFRICA ISSUE 5 2014 steel and stainless markets over the past 10 years have been driven by China, creating definite opportunities for stainless steel producers. Annual growth is 2.5% in the steel industry and 5% in the stainless steel industry. In tandem with bulk production of stainless steel, there is also significant potential for smaller Zimbabwean suppliers to produce a wide range of stainless steel products tailored to different strength characteristics. These include products suitable for high temperature applications and corrosive environments, as well as those that provide aesthetic appeal. In his presentation, Parker discussed the “mini mill” concept pioneered by Nucor in the American steel industry. “At one time steel was produced by a few very large integrated mills which were very cumbersome and inefficient. As a result, many of these have been forced to close and today more than 50% of American steel is produced by a multitude of small