Metals, Metalworking & Mining
Crowning glory Chelopech is a leading precious metals mining company and one of eastern Europe’s biggest success stories. Today the company is championing new industry standards in environmental care, sustainability and worker safety. Philip Yorke reports.
T
he Chelopech mine is located in central-western Bulgaria approximately 70 kilometres east of Sophia, the national capital, on the southern flank of the Balkan ranges. The company’s mining licence covers an area of more than 260 hectares which is owned by Dundee Precious Metals (DPM) and on which the mining facilities are constructed. Mineral potential at the property was discovered in the mid-19th century, rediscovered in the 1950s and several decades later was acquired by DPM who transformed it into the modern mining facility that it is today. Following its purchase, DPM transitioned the mine’s
extraction methods and implemented production process upgrades which resulted in significant improvements in productivity and a considerable drop in the consumption of electricity and water consumption.
Transforming fortunes A programme of continuous investment has transformed the fortunes of the Chelopech mining company, whose mission was to increase the output of the mine by over two million metric tonnes of ore. This has subsequently been achieved and exceeded. Iliya Garkov is the company’s VP and is executive director for DPM Industry Europe 135
