ANGOLVAAL MINING (Avmin) launched construction of a new cobalt treatment facility on Thursday, with a sod turning ceremony at Chambishi on the Zambian Copperbelt. The plant, to be commissioned late next year, will blend, smelt, leach and electrowin cobalt and copper from the 20-million ton on surface Nkana Slag Dump containing 0,76% cobalt and 1,06% copper. The existing plant toll treats about 130 000 tons a year of concentrates from Copperbelt based suppliers producing approximately 2 500 tons a year of cobalt and between 10 000 and 15 000 tons a year of copper. The new plant, which is forecast to produce an additional 4 500 tons a year of cobalt and 10 000 tons a year of copper from slag, is expected to cost between R490-million and R615-million.