Vedanta awards Bateman Engineering USD35 million Indian contract

Bateman Engineering has been awarded, by Hindustan Zinc Limited (a Vedanta unit), its first major project in India to a value of approximately USD35 million. The lump sum turnkey (LSTK) contract covers the 1 million t/yr zinc concentrator expansion at Rampur Agucha Mines Bilwara, in Rajasthan State, India.

This award follows the opening, in June 2006, of Bateman India as Bateman Engineering’s operational office to serve the minerals and metals sectors in that region. Bateman India was invited to tender for this project in August 2006 and was successful in open competition with companies already well established in India.

The 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 t/yr of ore. Work has already commenced and the project is due to be mechanically completed by the end of 2007.

Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) is a leading producer of refined zinc and lead in India and is part of Vedanta, a business conglomerate with a group annual turnover of USD6 billion and with a strong presence in the copper, aluminium, zinc, lead and telecommunications sectors.
HZL is India’s only integrated zinc company, operating from mine to finished metal and supplying around 73 % of India’s zinc requirements in 2005-06.

HZL operates open cast (Rampura Agucha mine) as well as underground mines (Rajpura Dariba and Zawar mines). Rampura Agucha mine was commissioned in 1991 and is located 225 km north of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. This open cast mine, with its onsite concentrator to produce zinc concentrate, has good mineralogy leading to higher recovery and overall low cost of production.

Commenting on the award, Dr Sivi Gounden, CEO of Bateman Engineering N.V., said: “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.”

For further information please contact Dinesh Kumar Khare, Managing Director, Bateman India on +91-80-2658-3683 / 94 or email dinesh.khare@batemanengineering.co.in.

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