Bolivian Government to Invest $15 Million in New Tin Smelter

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Bolivia's state-owned Empresa Metalurgica Vinto (EMV) (Oruro) is investing $15 million to modernize its Vinto tin smelter in Oruro, with the construction of a new tin smelter.

The new smelter will process 38,000 tons per year of tin concentrate to produce 18,000 tons per year of tin metal. Ausmelt Limited (Melbourne, Australia) has signed a contract with EMV for the engineering and construction of the smelter, as well as the provision of the necessary equipment and site services. The Ausmelt furnace will replace existing reverberatory furnaces, which may possibly be used to treat other metals, such as zinc and copper. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2009, and project completion is expected by July 2010.

According to EMV authorities, this will be the first modernization after more than 30 years from the start-up of the Vinto complex, the world's fourth-largest tin smelter. EMV was originally run by Bolivia's government since opening in 1971. The plant was privatized in 1999 to British company Allied Deals, then purchased by Bolivia mining company Comsur. In 2005 Comsur sold Vinto to Swiss Glencore International A.G. (Baar), which operated the plant through its subsidiary, Sinchi Wayra S.A. (La Paz). Finally, in February 2007, Bolivian President Evo Morales re-nationalized the company. Vinto produced 9,400 tons of tin in 2007.

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