By: Ecofin agency

Orion Minerals appointed mining veteran Johan van Dyk as project director for its Prieska copper-zinc project in South Africa, the company announced on September 29.

Van Dyk brings more than 40 years of mining experience and will lead the construction preparations of Prieska, Orion’s flagship asset. The company said his appointment will “support ongoing operational readiness activities.”

“The signing of a non-binding contractual framework with Glencore and Johan’s appointment are two important steps for Orion,” CEO Tony Lennox said. “As we emphasized during our recent webinars, having an experienced project team will be key to successful execution. We are delighted to have recruited Johan and remain confident in achieving Prieska’s first concentrate production by Christmas 2026.”

Orion estimates Prieska will require A$578 million ($380 million) in development capital. The mine is designed to produce 22,000 tons of copper concentrate and 65,000 tons of zinc concentrate annually.

Last week, Orion signed a memorandum of understanding with Glencore for $200 million to $250 million in financing. Van Dyk will likely oversee the due diligence required to finalize the agreement.

The company confirmed it is in talks with additional investors to close the funding shortfall. Securing full financing is critical to maintaining Orion’s commissioning target of late 2026