Meclex lands €734K Belgian grant to pilot its zinc-recovery process
What's the deal? MeclexDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a subsidiary of Zinc of IrelandDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (ASX:ZMI), has secured a €734,000 ($855,518) development grant from Belgian agency Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to advance its ARGO technology to the pilot plant phase.
The details: The full co-funding agreement totals €1.22 million over a 24-month term, with VLAIO providing €734,000 and ZMI covering the remaining €489,000 from existing cash reserves. ZMI notes that continuation past the 12-month mark depends on financial statements and updated budgets.
What's the endgame? ARGO is a hydrometallurgical process designed to recover zinc, lead, silver, and critical minerals — including gallium, germanium, and indium — from zinc leach residue produced during smelting and refining. The grant lets ZMI co-fund its testing program at SOLVOMET, the Catholic University of Leuven's Research Centre for Circular Hydrometallurgy.
Why now? ZMI recently accelerated and expanded its ARGO work plan after industry feedback, targeting the pilot phase by early 2027. CEO Greg Ross says the grant "comes at the perfect time" for the company.
Why Flanders? The region hosts significant zinc and lead production, including NyrstarDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s Balen smelter. ZMI holds a cooperation agreement with Nyrstar (EBR:NYR) for feedstock supply, industry expertise, and testing facilities, and is weighing a European head office and laboratory in Flanders.
The signal: ARGO's pitch is to "replace the high carbon dioxide emission process with a low energy, high recovery process," Ross says — a shift the industry may increasingly demand as pressure builds to lower emissions and secure critical minerals closer to home.
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
