Bolivia’s President Evo Morales has guaranteed a US$20 million payment for installation of a new smelting furnace to help upgrade the Vinto metallurgical complex, state news agency ABI reported last week. "We are committed to making significant changes. We are going to guarantee this new furnace for miners," Morales said.
The new Ausmelt furnace is due to be installed by 2010, but in the meantime two old furnaces are being reactivated in order to provide a temporary increase in smelting capacity. An old rotary furnace was re-started in January and an inactive reverberatory furnace is due to be reactivated by April, allowing an increase in tin production from 800 tpm to 1,000 tpm. The increases in capacity are to match a planned rise in production of tin concentrate by the Huanuni mine.
