Neometals to apply technology for metal recovery at Serbian steel mill

The technology will be used for the recovery of zinc, copper, iron, silver and lead from a new modular electric arc furnace (EAF) dust processing plant in Serbia, Neometals said in a statement on Wednesday.

The sub‐licence agreement will enable the technology to be applied by a third‐party joint venture between a steel producer and a European investment group specialising in industrial waste processing, Neometals said.

The modular plant will seek to recover zinc, copper, iron, silver and lead through processing of EAF dust that can have up to 35% zinc content.  

Under the sub‐licence agreement, the sub‐licensee must pay a royalty on the gross proceeds of any minerals or metals produced from the plant using the Neomet Process technology. 

In April 2016, Serbia's government agreed to sell the country's only steel mill, Zelezara Smederevo, to China's Hesteel, after the Chinese investor submitted a binding offer to buy all 98 property units of Zelezara Smederevo for a total of 46 million euro ($54.5 million).