:: Zambian Chambishi to Build $100 Mln Copper Smelter

The Chinese owners of Zambia's Chambishi mine plan to spend $100 million on building a copper smelter and are now constructing an acid leach plant as part of efforts to boost output.

China Nonferrous Metals International Mining Corp President Luo Tao said in Zambia's capital Lusaka that the state-owned firm wanted a smelter so it could produce finished copper.

Chambishi, which currently produces copper concentrate, has said it plans to raise output to 65,000 tonnes in 2005 from 49,054 tonnes last year.

"A feasibility study is being undertaken for the construction of a smelter at a cost of $100 million at Chambishi mine," state television quoted Luo as saying. He gave no further details on this project.

Luo said an acid leach plant was currently under construction at a cost of $20 million and that it would be commissioned in June 2006.

He said copper ore output is expected to rise to 1.2 million tonnes per year from 1.0 million tonnes this year, once the acid leach plant is completed, but no data was provided for copper concentrate production for 2006.