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First Quantum Minerals deliveres 5,000 stoves to communities in a new initiative to minimise deforestation and pollution

First Quantum Minerals has delivered 5,000 stoves to communities in a new initiative to minimise deforestation and pollution.

The Village Stoves programme involves FQM, in line with its environmental policy, teaming up with Zambia-based carbon credit and environmental company, The African Stove Company, and local small-scale manufacturers to develop a low-cost stove that is about 60% more efficient than conventional open-fire stoves used in Zambia’s remote areas.
TASC has over 20 years’ experience in international energy innovation and environmental projects.

The pilot programme, which was launched last year, involves installation of 5,000 United Nations-accredited twig-burning stoves in the communities surrounding the company’s Kansanshi mine in Solwezi.

On average, the new stoves have a UN-tested water boiling efficiency of 40% as opposed to 10% on an open fire; by comparison a kettle is 80% efficient – and is estimated to save 2.5 tonnes of carbon emissions per stove each year.

This means that over the seven-year lifetime of the project each stove – provided it is being used daily as a replacement for traditional fires – will save 17.5 tonnes of carbon.

The pilot phase therefore has a potential carbon saving of 87 500 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to about 3,000, 30-tonne trucks of firewood.

Kansanshi Foundation co-ordinator Guy Hammond said the nature of the fuel used by the stove lends itself to normal tree mortality rates and sustainable twig harvesting of forests, which naturally shed dead branches.

“This project has been over two years in the pipeline, but we are delighted that FQM is leading the way in doing our part to combat climate change and deforestation in North-Western Province,” he said.

“The exponential growth of Solwezi and Kalumbila towns due to our mining operations has seen an explosion of charcoal production to feed an ever-growing market, exacerbated now by the power crisis we are facing as a country. With the Village Stove programme, FQM has taken a proactive approach to saving our forests.”

What’s more, the upgraded traditional cooking stoves also make use of cutting-edge technology. Each stove is tagged by GPS transmitter and its fixed location is uploaded onto the UN carbon credit platform database. Annual random inspections by UN-accredited officers ensure the stoves are being used and are where they are supposed to be, and then carbon credits are awarded for sale on the open market.

Kansanshi Foundation Manager Bruce Lewis says: “Aside from the improved efficiency that dramatically reduces the amount of charcoal and wood needed to cook; the stove’s design also helps significantly reduce the risk of excessive smoke inhalation for the user by diverting the minimal amount of smoke the stove may produce safely away from the cooking area.”

Smoke inhalation is one of the leading causes of respiratory problems among village dwellers especially women who do most of the cooking.
He added that lower smoke levels not only mean lower risk of smoke-related illnesses among members of the local communities but also lower carbon emissions, thereby helping Zambia combat climate change.

The Village Stove makes use of unique thermofluidic flows created by a specially designed metal frame to minimise energy loss and ensure the highest possible amount of heat energy is directed to the base of the cooking pot.

The frame is bricked in to the kitchen wall for maximum safety and convenience.

Some 50 local manufacturers have been engaged to manufacture the frames.

The mine will lead the distribution exercise and train officers to carry out installation, maintenance and community training on their use.

And TASC founder Alick MacIntosh said he was happy to be working with FQM and was looking forward to seeing more stoves installed at the end of the pilot phase.

Source: Lusaka Times
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Maamba moves power plant pumps to keep Zambia powered

ambia’s Maamba Collieries has relocated water pumps to a new location in the Kariba lake, to provide water for the boilers of its 300 MW coal-fired power plant.

The company said in a release on Friday that this was necessitated by falling water levels in the Kariba lake.

Maamba operates two 150 MW power generating units, each consuming  9 000 m3/d of water when running at full capacity.

The company attributed the low water levels in the area to low rainfall during the last wet season in the country.

“Installing the pumps at a deeper location was not easy in crocodile- and hippo-infested waters, as these had to be kept at bay as men worked in knee-deep waters. We often had to seek the assistance of wildlife wardens to ensure safety,” said mining manager Scott Phiri.

The pump relocation was done within three weeks, with temporary power lines and substations having been set up, as well as a road created to transfer the two 132 kW pumps.

Maamba supplies 10% of Zambia’s current installed electricity generation capacity.

Source: Mining Weekly 
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Continued Falling Water Levels At Kariba Dam Forces Maamba Collieries To Relocate Its Pumps

By Patricia Mbewe

Maamba Collieries ltd has relocated its pumps to a new location in the Kariba Lake to provide water essential for the boilers of its 300-megawatt power plant following falling water levels in Kariba.

Maamba Collieries runs two power generating units, with a capacity of 150 megawatts, each of which consumes about 9,000 cubic meters of water a day when running at full capacity.

Low rainfall during the last wet season caused water levels at the primary location of the pump station in Lake Kariba to drop dramatically from the usual 9-metre depths to zero levels leading to the water at the pumps running dry.

Maamba Development Trust Manager Jethro Sikalunda has said in a statement that mindful of the power crisis in the country and the need to generate essential power, the company redeployed its pumps to a new location in order to keep the thermal plant of the country’s largest independent power producer operating at full capacity and avoid further load-shedding.

Mr. Sikalinda however said the water at the temporary pump station set up about 400 meters from the original suction point, also dried up last year, despite dredging efforts to sustain water depths.

He explained that despite dredging, the temporary pumping site also ran dry, forcing yet another relocation of the pumps further up the lake in deeper waters.
PHOENIX NEWS

Source: Zambia Observer
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Zambia’s largest IPP is transforming the face of Maamba

Contributing around 10% of the nation’s electricity generation capacity has a huge impact on the nation’s energy security and the economy in general, but for Maamba Collieries Limited (MCL), its endeavours do not stop there.

The sponsors and management of MCL understand that no business can be successful, unless the community around it shares in that success. Towards this vision, the company has set up the Maamba Development Trust (MDT), whose motto is, “Making a Difference…”.

The objective is to spearhead social and economic development in Maamba, Sinazongwe District, and in other areas where Maamba Collieries operates. MCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives are part of the company’s social investment policy, centered on community development and improving the living conditions of the people.

The initiative is built on four pillars – education, health, infrastructure development and sports, apart from conserving the environment as well as assisting with other needs of the community.

On the education front, MCL runs the Maamba Private School with over 500 local students and a Nursey for around 160 toddlers, while also providing regular support to the GRZ-run school for differently abled children.

Towards improving health facilities, MCL partnering with the Ministry of Health, is setting up a state of the art eye care unit in Maamba General Hospital to provide eye care to the needy in the district and beyond.  

MCL is also in the final stages of building a clinic near Lake Kariba which will provide access to medical facilities for around 10 remote villages and fishing camps.

The cornerstone of MCL’s CSR interventions has been laying new roads in the Maamba Township – roads which had not seen any work for over four decades – thereby providing dust free and safe roads to travel.

On the sports and fitness front, the company sponsors the First Division Maamba Energy Stars F.C., and provides access to the sporting facilities including golf, tennis, squash and badminton to the local community of Maamba Township.

Meanwhile, the Company has been contributing to the development of the youth and less privileged by running TEVETA approved welding & metal fabrication & power electric courses in its modern, well-equipped Training Centre.

Towards sustaining the livelihood needs of the people, the Company runs tailoring and carpentry classes for the local women and menfolk, skills which they can use for supplementing their meagre income.

“In order for us to mitigate the impact of mining and thermal power generation operations, environmental conservation remains a key focus area. We endeavor to plant over 30,000 trees every year and continuously undertake rehabilitation of waste dumps in order for us to preserve our environment,” said Head Corporate Affairs PJ Sudhir.

Meanwhile, MDT Manager, Jethro Sikalunda highlights that, “MCL also provides much needed access to water for the people of Sinazongwe, by pumping water through a 28-km pipeline from Lake Kariba to SWASCO – to meet the community needs for potable water”.

He added that, “The company also provides support to the three chiefs in its area of operations”.

With the support of all stakeholders, MCL has been   transforming the face of Maamba, bringing much-needed social and economic empowerment, and essentially, MAKING A DIFFERENCE by improving the lives of the community in Maamba and the district of Sinazongwe.

Source: Mining Review Africa
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Zambia’s Largest Independent Power Producer Transforming Face Of Maamba

Zambia’s Largest Independent Power Producer Transforming Face Of Maamba.

Contributing around 10% of the nation’s electricity generation capacity has a huge impact on the nation’s energy security and the economy in general, but for Maamba Collieries Limited (MCL), its endeavours do not stop there.

The sponsors and management of MCL understand that no business can be successful, unless the community around it shares in that success. Towards this vision, the company has set up the Maamba Development Trust (MDT), whose motto is, “Making a Difference…”

The objective is to spearhead social and economic development in Maamba, Sinazongwe District, and in other areas where Maamba Collieries operates. MCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are part of the company’s social investment policy, centered on community development and improving the living conditions of the people. The initiative is built on four pillars – education, health, infrastructure development and sports, apart from conserving the environment as well as assisting with other needs of the community.

On the education front, MCL runs the Maamba Private School with over 500 local students and a Nursery for around 160 toddlers, while also providing regular support to the GRZ-run school for differently abled children.

Towards improving health facilities, MCL partnering with the Ministry of Health, is setting up a state of the art eye care unit in Maamba General Hospital to provide eye care to the needy in the district and beyond.  MCL is also in the final stages of building a clinic near Lake Kariba which will provide access to medical facilities for around 10 remote villages and fishing camps.

The cornerstone of MCL’s CSR interventions has been laying new roads in the Maamba Township – roads which had not seen any work for over four decades – thereby providing dust free and safe roads to travel.

On the sports and fitness front, the company sponsors the First Division Maamba Energy Stars F.C., and provides access to the sporting facilities including golf, tennis, squash and badminton to the local community of Maamba Township.

Meanwhile, the Company has been contributing to the development of the youth and less privileged by running TEVETA approved welding & metal fabrication & power electric courses in its modern, well-equipped Training Centre. Towards sustaining the livelihood needs of the people, the Company runs tailoring and carpentry classes for local women and menfolk, skills which they can use for supplementing their meagre income.

“In order for us to mitigate the impact of mining and thermal power generation operations, environmental conservation remains a key focus area. We endeavor to plant over 30,000 trees every year and continuously undertake rehabilitation of waste dumps in order for us to preserve our environment,” said Head Corporate Affairs PJ Sudhir.

Meanwhile, MDT Manager, Mr. Jethro Sikalunda highlights that, “MCL also provides much needed access to water for the people of Sinazongwe, by pumping water through a 28-km pipeline from Lake Kariba to SWASCO – to meet the community needs for potable water”.

He added that, “The company also provides support to the three chiefs in its area of operations”.

With the support of all stakeholders, MCL has been transforming the face of Maamba, bringing much-needed social and economic empowerment, and essentially, MAKING A DIFFERENCE by improving the lives of the community in Maamba and the district of Sinazongwe.
Investee Companies, Investee Company News

Mopani Rubbishes Transfer Of Procurement Office To South Africa

Mopani Copper Mines Plc has disputed media reports suggesting that the mining giant plans to move its procurement offices to South Africa.

Last week, local contractors and mine suppliers staged a protest demanding that Mopani rescinds its decision to move the procurement office to South Africa.

But Mopani Copper Mines Plc Public Relations Manager Nebert Mulenga has stated in a statement that the claims are false.

Mulenga said all business decisions and operations of Local Contractors will be managed by a local team at Mopani.

He has stated that Mopani has since introduced a Zambia Contract Ownership Development Initiative aimed at promoting participation of local contractors.

Mulenga added that Mopani believes the initiative will help grow the Zambian economy with the participation of local contractors in the sector.

Source: Zambia Reports 
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MUZ Goes Ahead To Sign 7% Salary Increment For Workers, Despite It Being Rejected

The Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) and other unions have signed the 2020 collective agreement with Mopani Copper Mines at 7% despite the percentage being rejected by miners.

This follows a week of rejection, threats to pull out their membership by miners who expressed displeasure with the 7% salary increment and K500 cushion allowance.

MUZ President Joseph Chewe, Friday afternoon addressed mopani workers before proceeding to sign the collective agreement.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Chewe said the unions were signing the collective agreement unhappy because workers had rejected the percentage.

He was however worried that the displeasure shown by workers could result in low production due to lack of motivation.

Chewe later appealed to Mopani Copper Mine Plc to relook into the new change of shifts which he said has hit miners who used to benefit from overtime pay.

Miners will now work 12 hour shifts of 4 days in a week from 8 hour shifts of 6 days in a week which came with overtime.

Source: Zambia Reports 
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Securing Industries and Jobs

GOVERNMENT and the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) have shared interests in trying to keep Chambishi Metals operational and hence the efforts to stop the institution from being closed.

This is hardly the time for miners to start agitating for salary increments which mining companies cannot afford.

The miners should care about maintaining jobs instead of pushing for wage increments in this tough economic climate when companies are struggling to stay afloat.

We want to advise the more than 200 miners from Mopani Copper Mines who marched to Katilungu House in Kitwe, the headquarters of MUZ, to protest over the seven percent salary increment which the giant mining firm has offered them, to think of their colleagues who are no longer in employment.

When companies are struggling with operational costs, it is not the time to start pushing for an increment that might not be sustainable.

We think that the most important thing is to ensure that companies are paying what is affordable and also able to keep operations going.

This is what both government and the union are fighting for – job security.

While the government is pushing the current management at Chambishi Metals to recapitalise and keep the operations going, the workers want a new investor altogether.

Chambishi Metals proposed putting the operations on care and maintenance for two years because of failing to secure concentrates to keep the company going. The problem has been compounded by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) refusing to export their concentrates after establishing their own smelters.

Late last year, it emerged that mining companies had scaled down on operations because of a five percent import duty on concentrates. The mining companies claimed the five percent import duty was costly and chose to reduce and in some cases, to stop altogether the importation of the concentrates.

This seemed to have spurred the DRC to start its own smelters and now, they do not want to export copper concentrates. An unfortunate development with a cascading impact on the mining sector.

However, we think that government and the mining corporations need to sit and iron out such differences to avoid creating industrial shocks, which this economy can hardly afford.

For the past one year, the mining industry has gone through some tumultuous period beginning with the uncertainty of proposed tax changes from value added tax (VAT) to sales tax, with the latter being roundly condemned.

The instability of the exchange rate coupled with the prolonged load-shedding from the power company, have all had a negative impact on the sector.

Despite the VAT being maintained after overwhelming public outcry, the mining sector has continued to struggle with some companies threatening to lay off large numbers of workers.

This is what Government is trying to prevent by insisting that Chambishi Metals continue operations and retains the workforce.

Perhaps, the workers through their union, have more direct experience and know what is really obtaining on the ground, hence their suggestion for a new investor.

Job security is the most important factor that unions are most concerned with when handling labour matters involving a company faced with closure or in this case being put on care and maintenance.

MUZ feels that Eurasian Resource Group (ERG) must go because it has failed to run Chambishi Metals effectively but if Government wants them to continue, they must be subjected to integrity tests.

This was after Mines and Minerals Development Minister Richard Musukwa disclosed that Chambishi Metals had been directed to resume operations in the next three months in the wake of a number of local and international investors eyeing to take-over the company.

Mr. Musukwa said Government had rejected the plan by the mining firm to halt operations for two years due to operational challenges and that management had been asked to invest in a processing plant that would treat the kind of material the firm had.

Since Government is prepared to give a waiver in special cases, such as this one, it now just remains for the concerned parties to sit down.

Government is willing to be flexible on the five percent duty in so far as it affects Chambishi Metals, and we hope that management would take up this offer. If indeed the import duty on concentrates was a major factor, then the issue is on the way to being resolved.

Mr Musukwa assured that Government was ready to give a special waiver to the mining firm for it to remain operational.

Source: Daily Nation
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Zambia Assures Mines of Power as Supply Deal Deadline Looms

Copper mines in Zambia, Africa’s second-biggest producer of the metal, will have continuous electricity even if a supply deal lapses next month with no agreement to replace it, Energy Minister Matthew Nkhuwa said.

Most producers, including the local unit of Glencore Plc, buy power from Copperbelt Energy Corp., which in turn purchases it from state-owned Zesco Ltd. under a two-decade old accord. That pact expires on March 31 and an industry lobby group flagged uncertainty surrounding it as the biggest risk that copper mines face this year.

“I don’t think we’ll get to a point where we are going to switch off power to the mines,” Nkhuwa said in an interview in his office in Lusaka, the capital. “We’ll never get to there.”

Mines in Zambia account for about half of the southern African nation’s power consumption, and contribute about 70% of export earnings, so any disruption in supply could have a massive impact on the economy. The government’s foreign exchange reserves are already near a record low, and economic growth last year was the slowest in more than two decades.

Zesco and Copperbelt Energy are in discussions and the government is monitoring these and has set a time-line for a conclusion before the end of March, Nkhuwa said.

“If the worst got to the worst, the president can use his powers and declare a decree,” he said. “That is strategic economic equipment, and if there was no power supplied, it would be sabotage of some kind to the whole country.”

The government won’t use a new bulk-supply deal to increase power tariffs for mining companies, according to Nkhuwa. Rather, a cost-of-service study that’s underway and due for completion by year-end will determine any changes to electricity prices the mines pay, he said.

Source: Bloomberg
Annual Report Summaries, Investee Companies

Chambishi Metals Plc Extract from 2020 Annual Report

Chambishi is currently under care and maintenance due to lack of feedstock for the plant. Chambishi sourced feedstock (Copper and Cobalt concentrates) from Eurasian Resource Group (ERG) Frontier and Boss Mining companies (both ERG companies) as well as other mines in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ERG is the majority shareholder in Chambishi.  

There were no dividends paid during the year under review (2019: Nil)