Vedanta's Zambian copper smelter resumes operations after extended maintenance
Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines has restarted operations at its Nchanga smelter in Zambia following over three months of maintenance. The smelter, which cost $350 million to build and was commissioned in 2010, has a capacity of 311,000 metric tons of copper. The shutdown lasted 106 days, exceeding the initial 60-day schedule due to the identification of critical repair work during detailed inspections. The rehabilitation effort cost approximately $40 million and marks the first major refurbishment in eight years. This maintenance is part of a broader modernization strategy aimed at increasing
LUSAKA, Sept 21 (Reuters) — Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines has resumed operations at its Nchanga smelter in Zambia after more than three months of maintenance and repairs, the company said on Monday. The Nchanga smelter, built at a cost of $350 million and commissioned in 2010, is one of the country's largest, with capacity to produce 311,000 metric tons of copper. The shutdown was initially scheduled for 60 days, but took 106 days after detailed inspections identified additional critical work, Konkola Copper Mines said in a statement. The smelter rehabilitation cost about $40 million and was the first major refurbishment in eight years.
Konkola Copper Mines produced 80,215 tons of copper in 2025, according to the mines ministry. The plant maintenance is part of the company's broader modernisation strategy, designed to lift its output towards a target of 300,000 tons per year by 2030. That fits within the ambition of Zambia, Africa's No. 2 copper producer, to raise national output to 3 million tons by 2031 from 890,346 tons in 2025.
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