In order to ensure the full load operation of nchanga smelter, Vedanta Resources Company (KCM) imported 5000 tons of semi processed copper from Chile national Copper Corporation for the first time.
Shapi shachinda, a copper spokesman, said that the annual capacity of the nchanga smelter reached 311000 tons. In order to ensure this capacity, the company imported 5000 tons of semi processed copper from Chile, which can be mixed with KCM copper mine and third-party copper mine. Moreover, based on this successful cooperation, KCM will continue to import copper from Chile according to the production demand in the future.
Zambia is Africa's second largest copper producer, but in 2014, Zambia's copper production fell to 708000 tons from 760000 tons in 2013. In order to ensure production, KCM imported semi processed copper from other local copper mines and the Democratic Republic of the Congo respectively, but these were not enough to meet the production needs of the smelter. As a result, KCM decided to import copper from Chile, which not only enabled the smelter to continue to produce at full capacity, but also increased government revenue and ensured all employment in the smelter.