Mashila Metal Recovery,
South Africa.

ASA Metals, South Africa (BOOT)

The MRP built and commissioned for Mashila Metal Recovery (Pty) Ltd in South Africa’s Limpopo province is being operated as a community project. 

The plant, the contract for which was awarded in late 2006, reclaims FeCr from ASA Metals’ historic slag stockpiles as well as the current slag generated through the production of FeCr from its smelting facility. 

The plant has the capacity to treat approximately 600,000 t/yr of slag containing between 2.5 % and 3.5 % FeCr, producing approximately 18,000 t/yr of FeCr, all of which is sold back to ASA Metals. 

In terms of a business model adopted by ASA Metals, a Black Economic Empowered (BEE) company, Golden Dividend (Pty) Ltd, is managing all ASA Metals’ FeCr from slag recovery processes. The business model is probably the first of its kind in an industry where MRP operations are managed in-house. 

Golden Dividend was formed as a joint venture (JV) company between ASA Metals and the local community through the Maroga Community Trust as the majority shareholder.  In turn, Golden Dividend has appointed the BEE Mashila Metal Recovery, a JV between Atoll and the Dilakong Consortium which comprises local businessmen and women and organisations, to build, own and operate the MRP for a period of five years.

During this five year period, Mashila Metal Recovery, which will process the FeCr slag on a toll basis for Golden Dividend, will ensure that local labour is utilised as far as possible during the operations of the MRP.  Emphasis is also being placed on ensuring that all the necessary and required skills to operate and manage the MRP are transferred to the employees within the five years.  At the end of the five year period, the MRP will be transferred to Golden Dividend, who will continue to process ASA Metals’ slag.