Mimbula Mineral Resources Invests $250m in Copper Cathode Plant
By Chembe Mbale
Mimbula Mineral Resources in Chingola says it has invested about 250 million United States dollars in phase two of mining aimed at establishing a state-of-the-art copper cathode plant.
Mimbula Minerals Resources Managing Director, Fidelis Chanda, says the new facility, scheduled for completion in 2026, will enable the mining company to produce 60,000 tonnes of copper cathode per annum.
He said the development will not only boost copper production but also create new job opportunities for the local community and help in responding to the country’s target of producing three million tonnes of copper annually.
Mr. Chanda said the mine will this year produce 60,000 tonnes of copper per year from the previous 16,800 tonnes.
He disclosed that the mine, which is currently mining copper cathodes using the heap leaching method, started extracting the minerals in 2022 when it was only producing 900 tonnes per month.
Mr. Chanda said the production has now increased to 1,400 tonnes monthly, which will further be increased to 5,000 tonnes monthly once the plant is fully established.
