Tasnee to build metals smelter in Saudi

Saudi Industrial Group Tasnee has announced plans to build an integrated smelter for copper, lead and zinc in the kingdom's Red Sea port of Yanbu, as it looks to diversify away from petrochemicals, Reuters has reported. The project will depend on finding the right international technical and financial partners, Ian V Hesford, business development consultant for mining and metallurgy at Tasnee told the news service. The smelting operation would have a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year of each material, with plans to expand copper to 200,000 tonnes. Lead and zinc capacity growth would depend on market conditions, but he said the plant would be designed to be easily expanded.