Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines Launches Shutdown Maintenance Plan for Nchanga Smelter

Published: Jun 3, 2026 08:37

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Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, said on Tuesday that it has initiated a planned 60-day shutdown maintenance of its Nchanga smelter in Zambia.

KCM said the maintenance aims to improve operational efficiency, equipment reliability, and long-term production performance.

According to data from Zambia's Ministry of Mines, the company's copper production in 2025 was 80,215 mt.

The planned shutdown is part of the company's broader modernization strategy, aimed at advancing its capacity toward the target of 300,000 mt per year by 2030. This aligns with Zambia's national goal of increasing total copper production from 890,346 mt in 2025 to 3 million mt by 2031.

The Nchanga smelter shutdown means that from June to mid-September, Zambia's three major processing plants — Mopani smelter, Chambishi smelter, and Nchanga smelter — will undergo prolonged shutdown maintenance in succession. Against the backdrop of the Iran war already disrupting global supply of sulphuric acid, a critical raw material for copper and cobalt processing, this could further tighten copper and sulphuric acid output.

KCM said that during the shutdown, sulphuric acid supply for the Nchanga tailings leach plant will be secured through external procurement and its own acid plant with a daily capacity of 500 mt.

(Wenhua Consolidated)

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