Environmental Assessment
Volume A-4
Introduction
Development and Timing
process plant near Toamasina, where one 30MW generator set will normally be
on standby. The feasibility study does not include project capital for linking the
Ambatovy power plant to the Toamasina grid.
4.1.3
Infrastructure and Public Investment
There are no direct infrastructure investments on the part of the government
required toward the project. Planned Toamasina city infrastructure
improvements will however facilitate movement of materials to meet the needs
of existing and future commercial developments between the harbour and the
industrial area near the plant site. The returns on any project infrastructure
improvements or future maintenance of infrastructures (following project
closure) such as access roads, will be realized through improved material
movement and opportunities for growth and development.
4.2
PROJECTS WITH PROPONENT’S INVOLVEMENT
The Ambatovy Project is a large nickel laterite mining and processing venture,
with all operational activities to be conducted at a world scale. However, it has
been approached with the philosophy that there will be no need for the use of
new technology. All the operations will have been successfully conducted at
other operations, at a comparable scale, elsewhere. This does not require that the
operations have been integrated in the same way, nor does it imply that all the
operations have been necessarily conducted by the proponents.
There are four nickel laterite projects that utilize the pressure acid leach
technology, as proposed for Ambatovy. Dynatec is the process licensor for major
portions of the two large operating projects listed below. In this capacity,
Dynatec has done much of the testwork and basic engineering to support plant
construction and operation. Start-up and technical services support has also been
provided by Dynatec.
Site
Operator
Production (t/y Ni)
Moa Bay, Cuba/
Ft. Saskatchewan, Canada
Sherritt/
General Nickel
~30,000
Murrin Murrin, Australia
Minara Resources
~35,000
The Murrin Murrin Project in Western Australia, operated by Minara Resources
(formerly Anaconda nickel), is similar in many respects to Ambatovy. Although
Ambatovy Project
11
January 2006
