Baiyin Nonferrous to Triple Copper Capacity to 300,000 mt/yr

SHANGHAI, Sept. 24 -- China's Baiyin Nonferrous Co plans to commission a 200,000 mt/yr copper smelter by October 2010, tripling its copper capacity to 300,000 mt/yr.

    Construction has started on the RMB 654 million (USD 95 million) project.

    Baiyin Nonferrous, a major polymetallic producer in Gansu, is capable of producing 100,000 mt/yr of copper, 170,000 mt/yr of zinc and 30,000 mt/yr of lead, according to board chairman Li Peixing.

    "With the recovery of the global economy, more Chinese smelters are beginning to expand once again," said an analyst in Shanghai.

    "However, raw materials supply remains a tough problem," he added.

    (Source: Metal Bulletin)