Luanshya New Mine hailed as 'milestone event' for Zambia
CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines, or CLM, a joint-venture established in June 2009 by China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group), or CNMC, and Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings, has made significant contributions to the socioeconomic development of Luanshya city and Zambia as a whole, according to local authorities.
With 15 years of operational experience, the company has grown into a large-scale, fully integrated mining enterprise encompassing mining, concentrating and leaching in the landlocked nation at the crossroads of central, eastern and southern Africa.
In December 2023, its Copper — Grade A brand CLM was listed as a London Metal Exchange brand, marking the entry of CLM registered copper cathode into the international high-end market.
Since its inception, the company has invested a total of $830 million and paid $660 million in taxes. It has also conducted over 130 social responsibility projects, with cumulative expenditures exceeding $34.55 million.
CLM adheres to the concept of green, clean and sustainable development of mining resources, and proactively promotes ESG — environmental, social and governance — practices. Its social responsibility initiatives cover multiple sectors, including education, sports, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, emergency management and community security, earning high praises from local authorities and communities.
Additionally, the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology, affiliated with the company, has trained more than 3,000 skilled graduates, contributing to vocational education development in Zambia. The college currently offers 15 majors and provides advanced teaching equipment. It boasts over 20 laboratories, three computer rooms and two libraries, with 50-plus staff members and nearly 600 students.
In 2023, CLM invested over $3.9 million to construct a new campus for the college, covering about 60,000 square meters. To date, construction of a comprehensive teaching building, welding workshops, public restrooms, and the guardroom has been completed.
On May 28, the Forum on Technology Empowering Development of Mining Industry, 2024 kicked off at the new campus. Hosted by CLM, the event attracted participation of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and 12 cabinet ministers, including Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe, as well as the governors of three provinces and more than 400 representatives from Zambian government departments, parliament, political parties, local and international organizations, and Chinese and Zambian enterprises and educational institutions.
In his keynote speech at the forum, President Hichilema stated that 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Zambia, and noted the Zambian government and people cherish the friendship and partnership between the two countries. He also called for mutual support and win-win cooperation between the governments, enterprises, and peoples of both nations.
In September last year, Hichilema visited the headquarters of CNMC in Beijing, and held talks with its main leaders. They reached a consensus to cooperate and revitalize the Shaft 28, also known as the Luanshya New Mine project.
At the forum, the president, together with a series of senior government officials and corporate leaders, initiated the dewatering of the Shaft 28.
CNMC has lived up to its word by "continuously and efficiently proceeding the project", said Hichilema, who visited CLM on April 11 and witnessed the assembly of water pumps specifically developed for the Luanshya New Mine.
In 2022, Zambia formulated its eighth National Development Plan and the Vision 2030 development strategy, aimed at increasing the country's copper production capacity to 3 million metric tons per year. The restart of the Luanshya New Mine project is crucial to achieving that goal.
As the oldest operation in Zambia's mining history, the Shaft 28 maintained continuous production from 1931 to 2001. In the 1960s-70s, its annual production exceeded 100,000 tons, making it the largest copper mine in the country. However, production was halted in January 2001 due to flooding caused by a once-in-a-50-year storm.
In 2023, CNMC, in collaboration with top domestic and international research institutions, achieved significant technological breakthroughs in flood control after a year of sci-tech research. The team verified the layout of Luanshya New Mine's mining system, its total water volume, and the vertical distribution of water up to 1,200 meters, then formulated a dewatering plan based on the results.
According to the plan, the dewatering work will be finished in 18 to 21 months, with a total volume exceeding 130 million cubic meters. The first two water pumps were officially put into use on May 26 this year. Currently, six water pumps are in operation, pumping out 240,000 cubic meters per day. In the coming months, seven more water pumps will be installed, and the drainage capacity of the 13 pumps will reach up to 450,000 cu m per day.
Considering the severe drought currently being experienced in Zambia, the water pumped out of the project will be beneficial to agricultural irrigation and electricity generation.
Luanshya New Mine is a "milestone event" in the high-quality development of the company, said Wang Jingjun, chairman of CLM. With a total investment of $500 million, the project is expected to be put into operation by 2028, with a designed annual production of 43,000 tons of copper concentrate and a service life of 20 years.
Upon completion, the project will provide some 3,000 jobs, and greatly promote the socioeconomic prosperity of the local area and the nation, Wang said.
haonan@chinadaily.com.cn
