Delayed expansion set for March completion

SIMCOA Operations’ $100 million furnace expansion has been delayed after missing its Christmas deadline.

Picture: Simcoa Operations vice-president Jim Brosnan

The company’s vice-president Jim Brosnan said the project, which was officially launched in April 2010, should be on line by March.

Mr Brosnan said despite the setback plans were in the pipeline to build a fourth furnace.

The third furnace would give Simcoa a 50 per cent increase in production, while a fourth would double current capacity.

‘‘We’re in the final decision-making phase as to whether we roll on to a fourth furnace, which will take us to double current capacity,’’ he said.

‘‘Our parent company wants to expand production capacity.’’

Mr Brosnan cited stretched engineering and construction resources as reasons for the construction company not being able tomake the December deadline.

‘‘Western Australia is a great place to operate but it is extremely difficult to get things up and running,’’ he said.

‘‘The companies that took on the job were not able to deliver on time.’’

Programmed Construction & Maintenance was awarded the contract to install the new electric arc furnace at the process plant as part of its expansion project.

Based at Kemerton, Simcoa operates the only fully integrated silicon metal production plant in the world.

The industrial site consists of a sawmill, two charcoal retorts, two submerged arc electric furnaces, as well as a filter house for cleaning the furnace off-gases, and product packaging and despatch facilities.

Silicon production started in December 1989 and today Simcoa is capable of producing in excess of 33,000 tonnes of high purity silicon annually.

In addition, about 7500 tonnes of Microsilica (silica fume) is extracted from the furnace off-gases and is sold as a by-product.