New Century Resources has taken another major step in boosting processing capacity, bringing an upgraded scavenger circuit online.

The company said it had started slurry commissioning of the circuit, allowing the full capacity of this section of the processing plant to be incorporated into operations for the first time.

The scavenger circuit upgrade was delivered on budget and three weeks ahead of schedule, with the achievement representing the second milestone of the scheduled ramp-up to 12Mtpa at the Century operation, the company said.

The third and final major step, upgrading the rougher circuit, remains on track for completion in March 2020.

New Century said it had recently achieved operational rates approaching 9Mtpa at the North West Queensland zinc site.