BioteQ and JCC to build water treatment plant at Chinese mine site

BioteQ Environmental Technologies is to construct a water treatment facility at the Yinshan Mine site in China along with joint venture (JV) partner Jiangxi Copper Company (JCC).

The partners will take equal shares of the capital costs and profits generated from operations at the C$2.4m ($2.3m) water treatment plant.

Yinshan copper mine is located in southeast China around 30km from the Dexing site, where the JV already has several metal recovery water treatment plants.

The new plant will use BioteQ’s ChemSulphide process technology to selectively recover dissolved copper from mine drainage.It is designed for the treatment of nearly 17,000m³ of water every day and is anticipated to have an annual capacity to recover approximately 930,000lb of copper concentrate.

The recovered copper will be sold to JCC’s refinery at market prices.

BioteQ will provide engineering design resources and commissioning support services for the plant, while JCC will handle permitting and management of the site construction. Both companies will work together to obtain key process equipment.

BioteQ and JCC have also been working together on two other metals recovery plants at JCC’s Dexing mine site; a Met-IX nickel/cobalt recovery plant and a ChemSulphide copper recovery plant.

BioteQ chief executive officer Jonathan Wilkinson said that the latest project allows the company to improve its operating and recurring revenue base.

"BioteQ anticipates that having all three new China plants on stream by Q3 2014 will enable the company to achieve a sustainable EBITDA positive financial position as early as FY 2014," Wilkinson added.