Projects

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Chambishi Copper Mine

The project is operated by Non-Ferrous China Africa (NFCA), also known as NFC Africa, a wholly owned China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC) subsidiary. It is primarily a copper mining operation with underground mining on the main and west orebodies, and open-pit mining on the southeast orebody, but also produces gold as a minor byproduct . The Southeast Orebody Project launched in 2018 with a US$830 million investment. The Sino-Metals operation occupies 330 km² of mining licenses covering the Mwambashi and Samba areas; the Mwambashi open pit alone extracts 500,000 t of ore per year. It is noted as Africa’s first ‘digital mine’, producing ore that is fed to the concentrator for copper and cobalt concentrates. CNMC subsidiary Sino-Metals Leach Zambia handles hydrometallurgical operations, using leaching and solvent extraction to process lower-grade ores into copper cathodes.

Copper
Zambia
Started: 2018Status: Active

Luanshya Copper Mines

China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC) acquired an 85% stake in Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) in 2009 for US$50 million from Enya Holdings BV (Enya), following the suspension of operations at Baluba Centre Mine in the advent of the Global Financial Crisis. Immediately post-acquisition, CNMC changed the name of the mine to CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines (CNMC-LCM) and it initially held an 85% shareholding stake in CNMC-LCM, later transferring a 5% stake to Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) to achieve a 80:20 shareholding structure as per the terms of the acquisition. ZCCM-IH currently holds a 20% stake while CNMC holds an 80% stake. Luanshya Copper Mines, located in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, is one of the country’s oldest copper mining assets, dating back to the early 20th century. The mine has long been central to the town of Luanshya, but over the years, it experienced periods of closure and ownership changes due to fluctuating copper prices, underinvestment and operational challenges. By the early 2000s, the Baluba underground mine, then the main producing asset, was struggling financially. After a series of privatizations and failed turnarounds, the mine was eventually shut down in 2008 by its then-owner, Enya Holdings, citing the global financial crisis and operational losses. In 2009, CNMC, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, entered the picture and the mine has since been operational, producing copper.

Cobalt, Copper
Zambia
Started: 2009Status: Active

Lubambe Copper Mine

Following discovery of ore deposit in the 1920s, initial mining commenced in the early 1950s for two years before operations ceased. A number of exploration campaigns were undertaken in the area before African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), with Vale as a partner, acquired the mining licence in 1997. Following further exploration work and feasibility studies, construction commenced in 2010 with first concentrate sales in October 2012. In 2017, EMR Capital acquired 80% shares in Lubambe, which were later acquired by JCHX in 2024. In 2024, new capital supported new shaft sinking to access deeper ore (>1,000 m) and boost production and mine life.\nThe mine is a fully mechanized, underground longhole and room-and-pillar mine. It has processing infrastructure that includes a concentrator (crushing, milling, flotation, filtration) designed to handle 2.5 million tonnes per annum of ore at a 2.3% copper grade, yielding 45,000 t of contained copper concentrate annually.

Copper
Zambia
Started: 2010Status: Active