PM talks about "miracle" as new smelting plant opens

PM talks about "miracle" as new smelting plant opens

"A miracle has been created in the RTB Bor," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said at the ceremony and pointed out that Serbia has "a modern plant and one of the most advanced sulfuric acid factories in Europe."

"We have showed that we can build even the most modern facilities," said Vucic and thanked all companies that worked hard over the last three years so that the works could be completed on time.

He pointed out that thereby RTB Bor has secured itself a good reference for other jobs in Serbia.

"This is a great day for all of us," the prime minister said, stressing that the new smelting plant will encourage the development of metallurgy and ensure a better future for citizens of Bor and entire eastern Serbia.

Vucic said that the management of RTB Bor now has an assignment in the period from six months to a year a half to clear bottlenecks and prepare all three mines - Cerovo, Krivelj and Cerovo Primarno for increased extraction of ore.

RTB Bor Director General Blagoje Spaskovski stated that it is a true feat to realize a greenfield investment in times of crisis, adding that EUR 250 million was invested in the construction of the smelting plant.

He underlined that Serbia has obtained the most modern facility with great support from the government, adding that owing to this investment, the participation of RTB Bor in GDP will be increase next year, and nearly double in three years.

"We will earn EUR 12 million annually with imported concentrates, and in two and a half years we will use our ore concentrate, once Krivelj, Majdanpek and Bor pit are ready," said Spaskovski.

He said that the power plant of 1.6 megawatts was also built and it is expected to produce 30 percent of energy needed for the smelter and the sulfuric acid factory.

Canadian Ambassador to Serbia Phillip Pinnington said that the Canadian government is very proud of its role in this project because by investing in RTB Bor, Canada has become one of the biggest financiers in Serbia with more than a billion dollars.

Pinnington said that the Canadian company SNC Lavalin is very pleased that it contributed to the design and construction of the most modern plants in the region, which will increase capacities for production of copper, gold and silver.

Pointing out that Canada is known as a leader in responsible mining and for its commitment to environmental protection, Pinnington underlined that the new plant will enable a greater scope of geological research along with reducing the level of environmental pollution.

The modernization of the smelter in Bor will reduce the emission of harmful substances in the air, water and land below the value envisaged by the law, while at the same time, 98 percent of sulfur dioxide and copper will be used, which will meet the ecological standards in Serbia and the European Union.

The new smelter will produce 80 thousand tons of copper annually and process 400 thousand tons of concentrate at a fairly lower price since the costs will decrease from the current USD 1,250 per ton to around USD 700.

The main constructor is Canadian SNC Lavalin, and its subcontractor and the owner of autogenous flash-smelting technology Outokumpu is the Finnish company Outotec.

The local works have been entrusted to Serbian company Energoprojekt, which brought together 24 companies, and supervision of all works was carried out by the Belgrade Faculty of Civil Engineering.

A large part of the installed elements in the smelter and the sulfuric acid plant are manufactured in Serbia, and around 800 workers were engaged in the project.