Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has secured shareholder approval for a US$498 million tailings-reprocessing project at its Nchanga operations in Zambia, advancing plans to produce approximately 70,000 tonnes of copper cathode per year from material previously deposited at the surface.
The project received approval from ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH), enabling KCM to advance the proposed Nchanga Tailings Leach Plant under an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with China NERIN. Rather than developing a new mine, the project will recover copper from an estimated 546 million tonnes of historical tailings grading 0.54% copper. The planned facility is designed to process approximately 17.7 million tonnes of material annually, using leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning technology.
Plant Designed for 70,000 Tonnes of Copper Cathode
Technical studies indicate a potential copper recovery rate of approximately 74%. The intended final product is LME Grade A copper cathode, a refined copper product. At the planned production rate, the facility would generate around 70,000 tonnes of copper cathode annually at full capacity. This would add to KCM’s existing copper production through the treatment of previously mined material. Construction and commissioning are expected to take approximately 24 months. The schedule will depend on the execution of the EPC contract and the progression of construction and commissioning activities.
Historical Tailings Form the Project’s Resource Base
The Nchanga development is based on the reprocessing of material accumulated through earlier mining operations. Because the copper-bearing material has already been mined and deposited, the project differs from a conventional development requiring new underground or open-pit extraction.
Instead, the proposed operation will rely on the performance of its processing system. Copper recovery will depend on metallurgical performance, reagent consumption, water management and the consistency of the tailings feed. The planned combination of leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning is intended to recover copper from the historical material and produce cathode directly at the facility. The estimated 546 million tonnes of tailings provide the basis for the planned processing operation, while the proposed annual throughput of 17.7 million tonnes defines the plant’s intended capacity.
KCM to Fund Its Equity Contribution Internally
KCM plans to finance its equity contribution to the project using internally generated cash. According to the project details, ZCCM-IH will not be required to make a capital contribution. The funding arrangement places responsibility for KCM’s equity contribution on the mining company rather than requiring an additional direct capital injection from its state-linked shareholder. The shareholder approval allows the project to advance, but it does not by itself establish that all financing and construction requirements have been completed.
Construction and Metallurgical Performance Are Key Milestones
With shareholder approval secured, the next phase centres on executing the EPC contract, arranging the necessary financing and progressing construction of the Nchanga Tailings Leach Plant.
The expected 24-month construction and commissioning period provides the current development timeframe. Actual progress will depend on project execution and the facility’s ability to achieve its planned processing and recovery performance. The project’s production target remains approximately 70,000 tonnes of copper cathode annually, based on a design throughput of 17.7 million tonnes of tailings per year and an estimated recovery rate of 74%. If achieved, the facility would establish an additional source of copper production at Nchanga by recovering metal from historical mining waste rather than developing a new mine.
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