ISASMELT™ plants are installed or are being constructed around the world with plants in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Peru, USA and Zambia. ISASMELT™ is a unique, clean smelting technology and is responsible for about 10% of the world’s annual copper production.
ISASMELT™ can improve environmental performance in smelters whilst simultaneously reducing operating costs. All customers cite significant improvements for environmental management with a considerable decrease in harmful emissions. For more details on ISASMELT™ advantages for your operation
click here.
For more information on ISASMELT™ installations around the world, click on the links to the left.
 |
| Year |
Owner |
Location |
Type |
Capacity |
|
| 1991 |
Mount Isa Mines Limited |
Mount Isa
Australia |
Primary Lead Smelter |
60,000 tpa Lead metal |
|
| 1991 |
Britannia Refined Metals |
Northfleet
UK |
Secondary Lead Smelter |
30,000 tpa Lead Metal |
|
| 1992 |
FMI Miami |
Arizona
USA |
Copper Smelter |
700,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| 1992 |
Mount Isa Mines Limited |
Mount Isa
Australia |
Copper Smelter |
1,000,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| 1996 |
Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd |
Tuticorin
India |
Copper Smelter |
500,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| 1997 |
Umicore Precious Metals |
Hoboken
Belgium |
Secondary Copper Smelter |
200,000 tpa Mixed Feed |
|
| 2000 |
Metal Reclamation Industries |
Pulau Indah
Malaysia |
Secondary Lead Smelter |
40,000 tpa Lead Metal |
|
| 2002 |
Hüttenwerke Kayser |
Lünen
Germany |
Secondary Copper Smelter |
150,000 tpa Scrap Copper |
|
| 2002 |
Yunnan Copper |
Kunming
China |
Copper Smelter |
800,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| 2005 |
Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd |
Tuticorin
India |
Copper Smelter |
1,300,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| 2005 |
Yunnan Metallurgical Group |
Qujing
China |
Lead Smelter |
160,000 tpa Lead Concentrate |
|
| 2006 |
Mopani Copper Mines |
Mufulira
Zambia |
Copper Smelter |
850,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| 2007 |
Southern Peru Copper |
Ilo
Peru |
Copper Smelter |
1,200,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| Under Construction |
Kazzinc |
Ust-Kamenogorsk
Kazakhstan |
Lead Smelter |
300,000 tpa Lead Concentrate |
|
| Under Construction |
Kazzinc |
Ust-Kamenogorsk
Kazakhstan |
Copper Smelter |
300,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
| Under Construction |
Doe Run Peru |
La Oroya
Peru |
Copper Smelter |
280,000 tpa Copper Concentrate |
|
The Mount Isa copper ISASMELT™ plant has been operating since 1992 and treats more than 1,1000,000 tonnes of copper bearing feed material per year.
The FMI Miami plant in Arizona was constructed at the same time as Mount Isa’s own copper ISASMELT™ in 1992. It continues to be one of the most successful copper smelters in North America, remaining economically viable while many others in the region have closed.
The first Sterlite plant was a key part of the initial growth of the company that eventually became Vedanta. It was originally designed for 60,000 tpa of copper in matte at a matte grade of 60%, and was producing more than 150,000 tpa by the time it was shut down in 2005. It was replaced with a new ISASMELT™ plant that was commissioned on the same site in mid 2005. The new plant, incorporating a larger ISASMELT™ furnace, was designed to treat more than 300,000 tpa of copper, and is now treating well in excess of that.
The Belgian plant is also operating at more than design capacity, while the German and Chinese plants have both demonstrated that they can smelt more than the design tonnage of feed material. The Yunnan Copper plant reached design capacity in record time and can be considered the most outstanding success yet for a new smelting technology introduced to China for the first time.
Southern Peru Copper Corporation evaluated all the modern technologies for copper smelting over many years. They investigated flash smelting/converting, Mitsubishi smelting/converting, Noranda smelting, El Teniente smelting, and ISASMELT™. After completion of a major feasibility study including a significant amount of basic engineering, Southern Peru decided that ISASMELT™ would be the most cost-effective technology for their modernisation project. The plant was commissioned in early 2007.
Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia also analysed the various smelting options and decided that the ISASMELT™ process would provide the greatest economic benefit to them while also providing additional technical flexibility. The plant has been operating since late 2006.
ISASMELT™ is also used for primary and secondary lead smelting. The CYMG lead ISASMELT™ was commissioned in 2005 and produces lead bullion from lead concentrate. It formed the core of a new green field lead and zinc smelting complex. The Metals Reclamation Industries lead smelter in Malaysia produces about 40,000 tpa of lead metal from battery scrap and some concentrates. The plant has been running since 2000.
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