OREANDA-NEWS. Group DF group of companies has invested UAH 74.5 million to the design and survey works for the construction of Stremigorodsk MCC with the aim to carry out the mining of apatite-ilmenite ore at  Stremigorodsk deposit (Zhytomyr region).

The developed earlier design documentation on the technical and economic assessment of the career construction has passed the state examination of the state company 'Ukrgorstroyekspertiza' of the Ministry of Regional Development.

This was stated by the director of 'Valki-Ilmenite' LLC Ivan Bondar during the workshop with the representatives of Zhytomyr regional administration.

"Totally UAH 74.5 million were invested in the project, of which UAH 15 million - in 2015. We attracted the best research companies, among which the main work was carried out by the engineering and consulting company HATCH, Canada. Also the subcontractors and labs from Australia, UK, USA and Canada were working on the project. They developed the optimum extraction mining technology up to the best world standards and created a fundamentally new technological scheme of mining at this deposit. The technical and economic assessment of the career has been developed and passed the state examination", Ivan Bondar said.

Stremigorodsk MCC project is being implemented by the 'Valki-Ilmenite' company, which is a part of the Group DF's titanium business, and is carrying out the mining and enrichment of titanium ores. The company owns the special permits for the extraction of apatite-ilmenite ore at Stremigorodsk deposit, which is valid until 2032.

It is planned that the construction of the complex will be realized in two stages, and according to preliminary estimates, may last for 4-5 years. As a result, a new career for ore mining, a processing plant, tailings dump and various ancillary facilities will be built, which are necessary for the full operation of mining and processing complex.

Stremigorodsk MCC after the first stage of the project intends to produce about 500K tons/year of ilmenite concentrate and 150-200 K tons/year of phosphate rock from the ore at the processing plant. At the second stage of the project the production of finished products - ilmenite concentrate - can be increased up to 1 million tons per year, and apatite concentrate - up to 0.5 million tons. The project will allow the titanium business of Group DF to process additionally 4.2 million tons of ore/year.

Since 2010, 'Valki-Ilmenite' company has conducted actively the research and preparatory works on the creation of a fundamentally new technology for Ukraine of ore enrichment at Stremigorodsk deposit. The 'Gorhimprom' Institute (Lviv city) became a general designer of the project, and the technology of ore enrichment was developed by Corem Laboratory (Canada), one of the world leaders in the development of indigenous technologies for processing the ilmenite ore deposits.

On January 26, 2016 the investment project on 'Stremigorodsk MCC was included in the Programme for the Economic and Social Development of the Zhytomyr region, approved by the decision of Zhytomyr Regional Council. It is expected that after the realization of the project over 2 000 jobs will be created.

The project includes the implementation of a social program, which aims to improve significantly the infrastructure of the surrounding towns (roads, water supply, the objects of social and cultural destination).

The construction of a new mining and processing plant is a part of a strategy for the development of Group DF titanium business. The The startup of Stremigorodskog MCC will increase the capacity and productivity of Group DF's enterprises and will make it possible to provide a reliable supply of raw materials to the enterprises of Ukraine.