Posted on 07 Mar 2023
Kazakhstan’s Kazakhmys corporation and UK-based, Kazakhstan-focused mining company KAZ Minerals are discussing a possible new copper plant with China Nonferrous Metals Mining Group, the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan reports.
The design capacity of the plant will be 300,000 tonnes of cathode copper per year, Kallanish notes. The implementation of the project involves attracting significant capital investments and creating several hundred jobs for the long term.
The estimated amount of investment in the project and the timing of its implementation have not been specified.
The Chinese company has a successful experience in the implementation of such large projects as the Kazakhstan Smelter, Aktogay and Bozshakol.
KAZ Minerals increased copper production by 26% on-year to 282,000 t in January-September. The increase was due to Aktogay operating above design capacity, as well as improved performance at Sulphide 1 and the oxide plant, the enterprise claims.
The group’s finished goods inventory is expected to fall in the fourth quarter and fully unwind during 2023, the enterprise claims.
In 2021, the company produced 299,000 t, exceeding the production target set at the start of the year of 275,000-295,000 t. The increase was due to Aktogay and Bozshakol operating above design capacity.
Earlier, Kazakhstan launched a new hydrometallurgical in the territory of the Aktogay district of the Karaganda region. The enterprise will produce up to 5,000 t/y of cathode copper. The resource base for Irkaz Metal Corporation is the Borly deposit.
The Russian Copper Company (RCC) intends to develop two deposits in Koksay field in the Zhetysu region and Aidarly in the Abay region. Koksay is a copper deposit producing about 85,000 t/y of copper. The Aidarly copper deposit is being developed by Kazakhmys.
Source:Kallanish
