Beneficiation and trading company Thakadu Resources and seabed telecommunication cables recovery and recycling company Mertech Marine have agreed to form a joint venture (JV) to beneficiate copper recycled from subsea telecoms cables and to establish a new high-purity copper sulphate plant in South Africa.
The new copper sulphate plant will be funded equally by the JV partners. It is expected that the plant will provide a unique, reliable and responsible supply of copper sulphate for the mining, agricultural and chemical industries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“This partnership immediately creates a vertically integrated recycling and beneficiation business in South Africa. The copper sulphate project is exciting but so are the prospects for further collaboration in battery recycling given our networks and expertise,” Thakadu CEO Ruli Diseko said on February 2.
Thakadu plans to build and operate the new plant within Mertech Marine’s existing recycling facility in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape. The plant will have the capacity to produce 5 200 tons a year of high-purity copper sulphate.
Commercial production is planned for 2024, pending the necessary approvals.
Mertech Marine said that it believes the JV will unlock value through further beneficiation opportunities.
“With the formation of this JV, we will unlock value from our metal pipeline by taking full advantage of our synergies through actively contributing to the circular economy. ,” Mertech Marine CE Alwyn du Plessis added.