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A new Zinc mining project in Algeria: Algerian-Australian JV Western Mediterranean Zinc Spa (WMZ) signed a USD 336 mn Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract with China’s Sinosteel Equipment & Engineering to develop the Tala Hamza Zinc and Lead Project in Algeria, according to a company disclosure (pdf). Funding agreements for the EPC contract have been formalized for the next 18 months, and construction will begin in the coming weeks. The project is set to begin operations in 2026, according to an Algerian government statement.
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Who owns what? WMZ is a special-purpose joint venture between ASX-listed Terramin Australia (which holds 49%) and the Algerian state-owned mining company ENOF (holding a 48.5% stake) and geological research agency ORGM (which owns the remaining 2.5%).
What will Sinosteel do? The Chinese company will set up the underground mine and the plant’s processing facility, both with a capacity of 2.0 mn tons of ores per annum. Sinosteel will also be responsible for developing the necessary infrastructure for wastewater management, electrical supply, storage, and all other necessary civil works.
About Tala Hamza: The project — which Terramin says could be one of the top 10 zinc mines in the world — has been in the works for over six years now, with the owner company WMZ securing the mining permit in 2023. The permit area has a resource estimate of 53 mn tons (Measured, Indicated, and Inferred) grading at 5.3% zinc and 1.3% lead, based on a cut-off grade of 2.5% zinc equivalent, including probable reserves. The mine’s production is expected to peak at 153k and 36k tons per year for zinc and lead, respectively.
REMEMBER- Zinc has potential for ion batteries: Zinc-ion is touted as a better battery storage option than lithium-ion due to its non-flammable properties, which reduce fire hazards. Zinc is also less expensive, more abundant, and has a larger temperature threshold making its batteries easier to maintain while causing less environmental damage. Zinc-ion batteries last much longer than lithium-ion reaching 20 years life expectancy, compared to lithium’s 12 years. While zinc-ion batteries are promising they still fall short on energy density in comparison to lithium-ion batteries.
