# Q&A with Jubilee Metals Group PLC: Kabwe Project Update (LON:JLP)

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/qa-jubilee-metals-group-plc-kabwe-project-update-lonjlp/412753975
- Published: 2018-07-04T11:37:44+01:00
- Author: Amilia Stone

**[Jubilee Metals Group](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/company/jubilee-metals-group-plc/jlp.l)
PLC** ([LON:JLP](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/company/jubilee-metals-group-plc/jlp.l))
Chief Executive Officer Leon Coetzer caught up with DirectorsTalk for an exclusive
interview to discuss their latest Kabwe project update.

 

**Q1: From the Kabwe project update this morning, I note that you are constructing
the processing plant whilst certain sections have been developed. Could you provide
some more clarity on how that’s been done and how the risks of the project have 
been mitigated now?**

**A1**: Clearly, this is not a typical way of executing the project where you are
both constructing and developing that process and really comes back to the point
that previously the process flowsheet or the process design that was intended for
this project was based on a process developed by BMR, which is our partner and owner
of the company called EPL. They developed a process in a laboratory based on batch
testing and during those processes, it was the complexity of actually integrated
such batch tests at laboratory-scale into an integrated flowsheet was not well understood.

Jubilee Metals and its technical teams then took the decision to rather simplify
the process flowsheet and apply a very prudent test programme per sub-unit process.
When I say sub-unit process, what I mean is we broke the project up into each defined
steps being a zinc recovery circuit, a lead recovery circuit, a vanadium recovery
circuit and a final tailings treatment facility so we do not try and solve all of
these four processes within a single process unit.

That allowed us to accelerate the test work of the systems, so we have our teams
testing, developing each sub-unit process, once that sub-unit process is developed,
it’s handed over to our engineering team to do the designs and then finally over
to the execution teams. This is why we’re in this position where the zinc recovery
circuit has been concluded, execution teams is now running with that unit process
to implement that unit process whilst our development teams are in between testing
and designing for the lead and the vanadium circuit.

Of course, we have to do that because a lot of time has been lost on this project
and we have to make up for that lost time to still have a project implemented over
the next 12 months in Zambia. Of course, the prize is big enough, we’re talking 
about 6.5 million tonnes of very lead and zinc-rich material on surface that we 
are chasing.

 

**Q2: You mentioned that discussions with the Zambian government is ongoing, how
critical are these discussions to the success of the project?**

**A2**: As you know, the project had a chequered history with the Zambian government,
firstly losing its mining licence and then having it reinstated again, clearly this
project has suffered many many delays over the past years and many promises have
been made to government on the execution of that project.

It’s in an area desperately needing investment, job creation and successful projects
so it’s vitally important that the Zambian government is continuously informed on
what is happening on this project, As Jubilee Metals, we have to unequivocally show
not only progress on the development of the process but very much continuous progress
on and at site as we implement the project.

So, the discussions are very important and there’s no defined discussion target 
other than continuously ensuring that the government is update and in support of
what we’re doing at that project.

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