Publication date: 21 September 2020

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has successfully cast its first copper anode following the completion of an approximately US$40 million rehabilitation of the Nchanga Smelter, marking the facility’s first major refurbishment in more than eight years. The milestone follows a 106-day shutdown, which was extended from the initial 60 days after inspections identified additional critical works requiring attention. 

KCM Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Satish Kumar said the rehabilitation demonstrated Vedanta’s resolve to restore and strengthen KCM’s operational assets to support improved copper production. He noted that the operation is more than just the restart of a smelter but  visible evidence of Vedanta’s commitment to rebuilding KCM and securing the long-term future of its operations. 

The rehabilitation involved more than 1,500 KCM and business partner employees and was completed without a major injury. Works included repairs and upgrades to the flash smelting and slag-cleaning furnaces, anode casting wheel, waste-heat recovery boiler, electrostatic precipitators, sulphuric acid plant heat exchanger and oxygen plant molecular sieves. 

KCM said the investment is aimed at restoring the smelter’s operational integrity, improving reliability and supporting increased copper production. With an annual production capacity of 311,000 tonnes, the restart is expected to strengthen KCM’s smelting operations and contribute to Zambia’s ambition of producing three million tonnes of copper annually by 2030.