SKOPJE (Macedonia), September 5 (SeeNews) – Skopje-registered Metrudhem plans to invest $150 million (105 million euro) to restart its lead and zinc smelter in Veles, local media reported.
After completing an upgrade and obtaining the required permits from the country’s environment ministry, the smelter in Veles is to start operations in two and a half - three years, daily Dnevnik (www.dnevnik.com.mk) said on Saturday.
The company has notified the ministry of its plans to draft an environmental impact study for the project, the daily quoted Metrudhem’s manager Toni Dimitrioski as saying.
Once it starts work again the smelter is expected to pproduce 100,000 tonnes of lead and zinc annually, with an annual turnover of 300 million euro.
The smelter in Veles was idled in 2004.
($=0.70 euro)