Fuel Shortage Brings Forward Bisha Maintenance; Concentrate Deliveries Face Delays

Published: Oct 16, 2026 10:04 (GMT+8)

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According to foreign media reports, processing at Zijin Mining’s Bisha copper-zinc mine in Eritrea has been suspended since last week. Zijin said a temporary regional fuel shortage prompted it to bring forward maintenance originally scheduled for year-end. Fuel supplies have since stabilised, but no firm restart date has been announced. Some customers were told the stoppage could last around four weeks, potentially delaying copper and zinc concentrate deliveries. Bisha produced approximately 23,000 tonnes of copper and 83,000 tonnes of zinc in 2025. Eritrea’s Asmara polymetallic project reported successful trial production and its first concentrate in April 2026. Renewed regional fuel constraints could also affect its operations and transport, although no fuel-related shutdown has been reported at the project. SMM forecasts Eritrea’s 2026 copper concentrate output at approximately 30,000 tonnes of contained copper. Bisha’s restart and Asmara’s production ramp-up remain key factors to watch.

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