Finish firm seals BCL�s P195m contract

Brian Benza | Friday November 28, 2014 14:49

In a statement, Outotec said the two parties involved had made service level agreement for the operation and maintenance for a 36 month period.

“The total value of contracts exceeds 17 million Euros(P195million) and the orders has been booked in Outotec’s fourth quarter 2014 order intake,” read the statement.

BCL’s original nickel smelter was built in the 1970s, using Outotec Flash Smelting technology. The scope of Outotec’s modernisation work includes the redesign of the flash smelting furnace, delivery of new advanced cooling elements and integrating them into the furnace.The service level agreement includes installation and commissioning supervision services, preventive maintenance planning, equipment maintenance and spare parts.

President of Outotec EMEA region, Adel Hattab, said modernisation of BCL’s smelter demonstrates their commitment to the project.

“We want to partner over the life cycle of the investment, from initial technology delivery to shutdown services, upgrades, rebuilding of the entire furnace, integrating modern technology and providing long-term maintenance services, thus continuously improving our customer’s productivity,” he said.

BCL smelter will be shut down mid next year for two months to make way for the upgrade. This is in the backdrop of the company embarking on a strategy to transform into a diversified enterprise.

BCL’s divisional manager corporate strategy, Mack William, recently told media that for the past two years the company had done design work to upgrade the smelter. “This design work was meant to modernise the smelter so it can operate for the next 10 years,” he added.

From next year, BCL will also process concentrate from its recently acquired Nkomati chrome and nickel mine in South Africa.

 William noted that transformation of the mine was in line with the company’s corporate strategy known as Polaris II, which is aimed at diversifying and extending the life span of BCL mine, beyond 2020, as the company seeks to penetrate the continent’s mining sector.