Ausmelt (AET)

Shares / Stock Code

AET

Stock Exchange / Sharemarket

ax

Ausmelt (AET) is a manufacturer, designer and supplier of Ausmelt furnace systems for use in metals production or wastes processing. AET listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on January 24, 1994. The Company focuses on the development and sale of chemical reagents for metallurgical extraction. It also provides metallurgical laboratory facilities through as Ausmelt Minmet Metallurgical Laboratories (AMML). The Company’s operations also include the supply of pyrometallurgical technology for the international non-ferrous metals industry and the supply of a mineral flotation reagent for recovering copper, gold and other metals from oxidized ore sources. Pyrometallurgical technology is a technique used for the processing of different types of metallurgical wastes.

Ausmelt is actively involved in the growth of its non ferrous TSL business. The Company is also focused on the expansion of its services and technologies with a vision to meet its goal of providing technology solutions across the metals production process chain. These technologies comprise ferrous TSL technology and mining flotation chemicals.

Ausmelt History

The company was created by Dr John Floyd in 1981 with a purpose to develop the Top Submerged Lance Smelting (TSL) technology. In 1986 a permanent pilot plant operation was launched at Ausmelt. Its first commercial scale operations were set up during 1980’s in addition to the establishment of copper smelting and converting unit at Olympic Dam. During 1992, the Company’s international projects in Zimbabwe and Korea commenced production. In 1993, Mitsui commissioned the TSL technology of the Company for Zinc fuming at Hachenohe operations. In 1994, Ausmelt listed on the ASX. In 1995, AET’s copper furnace began operations at Bindura, Zimbabwe. Metal group of Germany and Minsur Tin of Peru commissioned the commercial scale lead and tin smelters that used AET’s technology in 1996.

Alcoa commenced a 12,000 TSL tpa facility for the treatment of waste materials produced by hazardous spent pot lining. In 1999, the Company’s first copper converter became operative at Zhongtiaoshan’s Chinease smelter. In 2000, its Whyalla demonstration plant for AusIron Technology was commissioned. In 2002, AET’s technology was chosen for the Anglo Platinum Modernisation project. Ausmelt signed its first project in Russia in 2003. Its smelting and converting operations were started at Biria Copper's Dahej Smelter in India, in 2004. Ausmelt signed an agreement for one million t/y expansion of JNMC’s for nickel plant in China, and with Dowa mining for a secondary Copper Smelter in Japan in 2005. In 2006 the Company signed agreements for seven new furnaces and HZL‘s 85,000 t/y lead smelter began in India.