By Kalata News
Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) is one of Zambia’s leading mining companies boasting of over 13,000 employees and operating underground mines and open pit mines as well as metallurgical plants with operations located on one of the highest-grade copper seams in the world at Nchanga, Konkola, Nkana and Nampundwe.
The Company seeks to be a role model for safety, environment and socio-economic development, while playing a key role in making Zambia one of the world’s leading copper producers.
Investing for Growth
Since Vedanta Resources plc acquired KCM in 2004, more than $3 billion has been invested to upgrade equipment, build new facilities and expand capacity. These investments have increased reserves, resources and extended the life of the mines by over 50 years. Notable investments include:
Mining
KCM has open pit and underground mines at Nchanga and Konkola. The largest of the mine assets, Konkola, is the most northerly of the Copperbelt mines and is located 26 kilometres from Chingola.
The mine has three operating shafts – Shaft No. 4, Shaft No. 3 and Shaft No. 1. Sinking of the No. 4 Shaft reached its desired depth of 1,500 metres in 2012. The mid-shaft loading was completed in April 2010 and bottom shaft loading was commissioned in 2012.
Nchanga assets comprise open pit and underground mining operations. KCM’s mining operations are heavily mechanized using surface drilling techniques, electric shovel loading and dump trucks.
Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) is one of the leading integrated copper producers in Africa, and aims to become a major global copper producer.
KCM is primarily engaged in the exploration for, mining, production and sale of copper and copper by-products. KCM is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London Stock Exchange listed and one of the world’s largest diversified natural resources companies with interests in zinc, lead, silver, copper, aluminium, iron ore, power and oil and gas. Vedanta Resources has operations located in geographies spanning India, Australia, Zambia, South Africa, Liberia, Sri Lanka, Namibia and Ireland.
Our mining operations in Zambia are located in the Copperbelt and Central Provinces, and include open pit mines, underground mines, tow concentrators, a leach plant, a state-of-the-art flash smelter, a modernized refinery and a sulphuric acid plant. KCM recently sank Zambia’s first post-independence era mining shaft as part of the Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP). This 1,505 metre shaft has ensured KCM’s longevity, by allowing for the access of the deep Konkola ore body and extending the mine life by over 25 years.
KCM is currently one of the largest private sector employers with over 13,000 employees.
The state-owned mining company Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) is the other shareholder in KCM, controlling a 20.6% stake in the company. KCM enjoys a strong relationship with the Zambian government and is a committed partner in improving the economic prospects of the country through our operations and other activities.
Sustainability:
The company operates two hospitals and 14 satellite clinics. KCM also runs two schools, which it has expanded from primary level to full secondary level, providing education to over 2,000 pupils. KCM has one of the largest malaria roll-back programmes in Zambia. The company has rolled-out several community health initiatives that include the distribution of 23,000 free eye glasses, the fitting of artificial limbs and undertaking eye cataract operations. KCM is also involved in the sponsorship of two football teams in the top-tier Zambian soccer league.
KCM is committed to the development of the local communities through investments in health, education, sport development and income-generating projects and operates the biggest sustainable livelihoods programmes in the industry, through which it empowers communities with livestock to minimize dependence on mining activities. The company has also contributed to various infrastructure development initiatives including the development of road infrastructure and drilling of boreholes for local communities.
Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) is committed to its role as a responsible mining company operating in Zambia.
There are several points worth noting regarding our commitment to the country:
- Since acquisition, from the revenues earned at KCM, the majority has been re-invested back into the company.
- Dividends for Vedanta shareholders have only amounted to about US$ 58million. In addition, Vedanta has continuously supported the company financially as per its funding commitments in its agreements with the government.
- During the last nine years, KCM has contributed approximately US$ 830 million to the Zambian Treasury in tax payments and US$ 22 million to local councils in rates.
KCM has open pit and underground mines at Nchanga and Konkola. The largest of the mine assets, Konkola, is the most northerly of the Copperbelt mines and is located 26 kilometres from Chingola.
The mine has three operating shafts – Shaft No. 4, Shaft No. 3 and Shaft No. 1. Sinking of the No. 4 Shaft reached its desired depth of 1,500 metres in 2012. The mid-shaft loading was completed in April 2010 and bottom shaft loading was commissioned in 2012.
Nchanga assets comprise open pit and underground mining operations. KCM’s mining operations are heavily mechanized using surface drilling techniques, electric shovel loading and dump trucks.
Mining Process:
The company has three concentrators, two at Nchanga and one at Konkola.
The two Nchanga concentrators (East mill and West mill) were recently modernized. A new concentrator was commissioned at Konkola in 2008.
The Nchanga smelter was commissioned in 2008, incorporating technology from Outotec, Finland. The smelter processes ore from Konkola, Nchanga and other third party concentrates and it has a capacity of 311,000t pa. The smelter has met global benchmark environmental performance as it captures 99.6% of sulphur emissions. The main refinery at Nkana uses electrolysis to process copper anodes to LME A grade copper cathodes. It has been expanded to accommodate the increased anode production from the Nchanga smelter.
The Nchanga Tailings Leach Plant (TLP), one of the largest of its kind in the world, processes tailings from the Nchanga concentrators and stockpiled tailings to produce copper. The TLP extracts copper directly to cathodes from concentrate solution using electrolysis. Since inception of the mine, refractory ore from the copper production process was surface stockpiled. KCM has now developed a process to extract copper from the refractory ore stockpile.
The company also produces several by-products, including sulphuric acid produced from the smelting process, which is largely consumed in the leaching process. The new Nchanga smelter also has the capability to recover cobalt from copper concentrates. The cobalt which comes in the form of a copper-cobalt alloy is sold to markets mainly in Asia. A final by-product of the refinery process is slime which is also exported
Cobalt:
With the commissioning of KCM’s new Nchanga smelter in 2008, KCM, for the first time, is able to recover cobalt contained in copper concentrates. Cobalt is one of the most essential elements in the world and has many strategic and irreplaceable industrial uses.
When cobalt is alloyed with other metals, very strong magnets are created. Super alloys containing cobalt have been used in the production of jet engines and gas turbine engines for energy generation. These super alloys make up nearly half of the cobalt used each year. Cobalt is also used in making of cutting and wear-resistant materials.
Cobalt’s use in rechargeable batteries is one of its fastest growing applications. The cobalt found at KCM’s mines is produced in an alloy form known as copper-cobalt alloy which is marketed to cobalt processing plants around the world.
Pyrite:
The Nampundwe mine, situated just outside Lusaka, produces pyrite concentrate which is primarily used as an auto-thermal feed for the Nchanga Smelter. However, some pyrite is also sold to third parties. Pyrite is often used in the production of sulfur and sulfuric acid.
Copper:
Copper is one of the most important materials in the world today and has been used by human beings for various purposes for millennia. The variability of features attributed to copper makes it useful for a number of industrial purposes.
Copper has high electric and heat conductivity, it is resistant to corrosion and is stainless, and it is quite malleable.
KCM produces two types of copper cathode – REC and KBC. The major uses of copper cathodes are in the manufacture of copper rods for the wire and cable industry and copper tubes for consumer durable goods. Copper cathodes are also used for making alloys like brass, bronze and alloy steel, with applications in transportation, electrical appliances and machinery, defence and construction.
The REC copper cathodes originate from the Nchanga smelter and finished at the Nkana refinery. These cathodes have a purity level of 99.99% copper, meeting the highest international quality standards and are registered as REC (A Grade) on the London Metal Exchange (LME). KCM also produces copper cathodes through its Tailings Leach Plant at Nchanga. These cathodes are marketed as KBC (A Grade).
Acid:
Sulfuric acid is one of the most critical by products used to make hundreds of compounds needed by almost every industry. The largest amount of sulfuric acid is used to make phosphoric acid, which in turn is used to make the phosphate fertilizers, calcium dihydrogenphosphate and the ammonium phosphates.
KCM’s new Nchanga smelter includes a 1,850 ton per day sulphuric acid plant, which produces sulphuric acid primarily for KCM’s Tailings Leach Plant (TLP). Surplus acid is sold to customers within and outside Zambia
Anode Slimes:
One of the by-products of KCM’s refining operations at Nkana is anode slimes. This material is exported under long term contracts to third parties for the recovery of the contained minerals.
During the electrolysis process pure copper is deposited on cathode plates and impurities which are soluble fall to the bottom of the cell as anode slimes or sludge. Precious metals (Ag, Pt, Pd), can be extracted from the anode sludge created by the electro-refining process. Copper concentrates can also contain precious metals like gold and silver.
The company declared insolvency in early 2019. Later that year, 1,826 Zambians obtained permission from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in its Lungowe v Vedanta Resources plc ruling to sue Vedanta for local water pollution caused by KCM that started in 2005. Also in 2019, Lusaka High Court of Zambia blocked the sale of Konkola’s assts by the company’s liquidator. The court’s judgement enabled the state controlled minority owner ZCCM Investment Holdings to enter arbitration with the majority shareholder Vendanta Resources.
Vendanta agreed a financial settlement for all pollution claims, without admitting liability, in 2021
