Maravi

KCM to fully commission Chingola copper smelter

KCM to fully commission Chingola copper smelter
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thursday October 16, 2008 [04:00]

KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has said it expects to fully commission the Chingola copper smelter this month following technical hitches. KCM communications advisor Sam Equamo said test runs were currently being done on different parts of the smelter expected to produce 300,000 tonnes of finished copper per annum.

“We expect to formally launch it (copper smelter) slightly later due to technical hitches,” said Equamo in an interview. “We first want to ensure everything starts working properly…so we are looking at this month.”

The new smelter has been built with proven Outokumpu flash smelting technology and is expected to not only handle KCM's copper output but also concentrates from other mining companies in the country. It was scheduled for full commissioning in August, but delayed due to technical problems.

The Finnish-invented Outokumpu flash smelting technology would be able to capture about 95 per cent of sulphur dioxide, thereby releasing little into the atmosphere.

The smelter project is part of the programmes KCM – Zambia’s copper mining giant – is implementing to ensure it produced 50 per cent of the country’s projected one million tonnes of copper by 2010.

Labels: KCM, MINING

posted by MrK @ 4:01 PM