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EoI from cos to be invited soon for exploitation of beach minerals

Monday, 3 October 2011


Syful Islam The government will soon invite Expression of Interest (EoI) from mineral development companies for upgrading the pilot plant in Cox's Bazar as part of the effort for commercial exploitation of beach minerals, sources said. The Ministry of Science and ICT (MoSICT) is now examining a proposal in this connection sent recently by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), sources added. "We will soon invite EoI from the mineral development companies for upgrading the pilot plant. It is under process," BAEC chairman ASM Firoz told the FE Monday. "The ministry has inquired about some technical issues regarding the upgradation of pilot plant. We will send information to the ministry soon. Then the EoI will be invited," he said. The BAEC has so far discovered 17 heavy mineral deposits which have economically potential heavy minerals like zircon, rutile, ilmenite, magnetite, and garnet. These minerals have substantial demand at home and abroad. Officials said the BAEC's Beach Sand Minerals Exploitation Centre (BSMEC) has a pilot plant in Cox's Bazar to separate the minerals. They said the pilot plant is not technically capable enough to separate the high quality minerals. Senior Geologist of the BSMEC Mohammad Zafrul Kabir told the FE Sunday several companies are out to exploit minerals in the Cox's Bazar beach. "But, the necessary examination of the minerals is not possible with the existing pilot plant. They need to check the feasibility first before exploitation," he said. "It is not possible for the government to exploit the minerals. So, engagement of foreign companies' is necessary in this field. It's not possible for us to make the plant as technically sound as needed," Mr Kabir said. According to the BAEC proposal, establishment of a modern plant will help meet the local demand of minerals as well as save substantial amount of foreign exchange. It said modernising of the pilot plant through mineral development companies will also help technology transfer as well as train manpower. Sources said the BSMEC has recently extended research and development facilities by implementing a project approved by MoSICT and also a Technical Cooperation project by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under these projects it has assessed the reserves of already discovered heavy mineral deposits in order to know the proven extractable reserves, environmental impact assessment for mining and radiological impact assessment due to the presence of radioactive substances in beach sands. It has also explored new heavy mineral deposits in the coastal as well as river beds and flood plain areas, enrichment of titanium oxide in low grade ilmenite, and the determination of radionuclides and trace element of the coastal sediments and seawater. Statistics show that the 17 deposits have a reserve of 4.35 million tonnes of heavy minerals. Of them eight prominent valuable heavy minerals constitute 1.76 million tonnes. The deposits contain many types of heavy minerals of which ilmenite, magnetite, garnet, zircon, and rutile have great economic importance because of their comparative high concentrations, local industrial demands, and separation scope, officials said.