Russia's Udokan launches copper cathode output after fire delay
Russia's Udokan Copper started copper cathode production at its Far East hydrometallurgical plant on 2 September 2026, almost three years after a December 2023 fire delayed the launch; President Putin joined the commissioning by video link from Vladivostok. Russia's largest copper project, Udokan is under US sanctions and had already produced copper concentrate since September 2023. The SX-EW plant is designed to reach 150,000 tonnes of cathodes per year from 2026, supplied to the domestic market and exports to China and wider Asia. A second phase planned for 2028 would lift output to about 550,000 tonnes annually, potentially ranking Udokan among the world's five largest copper producers. Phase-one investment was about US$2.9 billion.
