India's New Copper Smelter Commences Production Amid Supply Deficit of Copper Concentrates

On June 18 (Wednesday), a new copper smelter owned by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani began processing ore this week, following multiple delays in the smelter project due to a shortage of raw materials.

The Kutch copper smelter in Gujarat, with an annual capacity of 500,000 mt, is part of a copper production complex being constructed by Gautam Adani, aimed at reducing India's reliance on imported metals.

The copper smelter was originally scheduled to commence operations in 2024, but the project's launch date was postponed several times due to a tight global supply of copper concentrates caused by capacity expansions at copper smelters in other regions.

Currently, copper concentrates should be transported to the copper smelter, but it may take up to 18 months to achieve full-capacity operation. Typically, the capacity ramp-up period for a copper smelter is around 2-3 months.

Industry analysts stated that if the copper smelter operates at full capacity, it will require approximately 1.6 million mt of copper concentrates annually.

A spokesperson for the Kutch copper smelter stated that the smelter has commenced operations and will strive to achieve full-capacity production as soon as possible.

In the global market, competition among copper smelters for copper concentrate supplies has intensified due to the launch of new copper smelting capacity projects, which has also dragged down smelting margins.

Industry analysts noted that the surge in copper smelting capacity is partly due to the launch of new copper smelting projects in Indonesia and the Congo.