:: Vedanta's Zambia Unit Restarting Nchanga Smelter

Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines, owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources, is restarting its Nchanga smelter, which halted production in April, the company has announced.

Production at Nchanga, which produces 311,000 tonnes of copper a year, was suspended on April 19 after a leak through the wall of the furnace.

"The heating up at the Nchanga Smelter has resumed in preparation for full production by Friday," Konkola said in a statement.

The Nchanga smelter handles ore from mines including Lumwana, owned by Barrick Gold, and Lubambe, jointly owned by Brazil's Vale and South Africa's African Rainbow Minerals.