Zambia’s largest copper mine is set to begin its mining operations in July, extracting copper ore after major installation works at the plant are completed within weeks, Lumwana Copper Mine (LCM) manager Harry Michael said here Tuesday.
Michael said that the LCM is the biggest mining operation to start in Zambia, after the discovery of significant copper ore several years ago.
Lumwana is also expected to become Africa’s largest copper mining venture when it becomes fully operational in three months.
Situated in the Northwestern Province of the country, the mine has seen investments of more than US$200 million, according to Michael, who added that the main installations at the mine required to begin mining operations were now in place to allow operation to start as scheduled in July.
Among the major installations are a 5-km conveyor belt to move copper concentrates from the mine to the crusher for processing, he said.
He also said the company will employ an extra 1,000 workers to meet the copper mining demand.
High international copper prices have brought renewed interest in Zambia’s copper mining sector, which has led to extensive exploration in areas previously over-looked, leading to the discovery of significant deposits of the metal and other minerals.
Source: APA-Lusaka
