Konkola Copper Mines has restarted smelting operations at its Nchanga Smelter in Chingola following a US$40 million rehabilitation programme, marking another step in the revival of the Zambian copper producer.
The restart was marked by the successful casting of the smelter's first copper anode following a 106-day shutdown.
KCM said the shutdown had initially been planned for 60 days, but was extended after inspections identified additional rehabilitation and refurbishment work required across critical areas of the facility. The programme represents the first major refurbishment of this scale at the smelter in more than eight years.
Major work completed at Nchanga.
“This is more than the restart of a smelter. It is visible evidence of Vedanta’s commitment to rebuilding KCM and securing the long-term future of its operations.”
The rehabilitation included work on the flash smelting furnace and slag-cleaning furnace, upgrades to the anode casting system, repairs to the waste-heat recovery boiler and electrostatic precipitators, as well as improvements to the sulphuric acid and oxygen plants.
More than 1,500 KCM employees and business-partner personnel were involved in the programme, according to the company.
KCM Deputy Chief Executive Officer Satish Kumar said the investment forms part of Vedanta Resources' efforts to rebuild KCM's operating assets and improve long-term reliability.
The company has stressed that disciplined maintenance will now be important in protecting the investment and keeping the smelter operating efficiently.
KCM currently describes the facility as having approximately 300,000 tonnes of annual capacity, with the company working towards a longer-term ambition of expanding its copper production capacity.
Part of a wider KCM revival
The smelter restart comes as KCM advances several projects across its Copperbelt operations.
Earlier this year, the company reopened its Chingola B Mine after an 18-year shutdown. The mine forms part of the wider Nchanga complex and is expected to produce more than 200,000 tonnes of ore per month once operations stabilise.
KCM has also signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with China NERIN Engineering for a new tailings leach project in Chingola.
The proposed US$498 million facility is designed to recover approximately 70,000 tonnes of copper annually from existing mine tailings. China NERIN confirmed the contract signing on 18 September, although separate reporting indicates that the contract remains subject to conditions before becoming effective.
Together, the smelter rehabilitation, Chingola B reopening and planned tailings-recovery investment point to a broader effort to restore production capacity across KCM's operations.
Zambia's copper ambitions
The developments also come as Zambia works towards significantly increasing national copper production.
The government is targeting approximately 3 million tonnes of copper production annually by 2031, while KCM has positioned the rehabilitation and expansion of its operations as part of its contribution to that national objective.
For KCM, the first anode from the rehabilitated Nchanga Smelter is therefore more than the end of a maintenance shutdown. It brings a major processing asset back into operation as the company moves forward with a wider programme of mine restarts, infrastructure rehabilitation and new copper-recovery capacity.