Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) is set to develop what is expected to become Africa’s largest copper tailings leach plant at its Nchanga operations in Chingola, Zambia, following the signing of a US$498 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement with China NERIN Engineering.
The project, which received shareholder approval from ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH) in September 2026, is expected to significantly increase copper production through the recovery of valuable minerals from historical mine waste.
According to the company, the new facility will process approximately 546 million tonnes of historical tailings stored at Nchanga’s Tailings Dam 5 (TD5), which contain an average copper grade of 0.54 per cent.
The plant is designed to process approximately 53,500 tonnes of tailings daily, equivalent to 17.7 million tonnes annually.
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 70,000 tonnes of London Metal Exchange (LME) Grade A copper cathodes annually. Studies have indicated a potential commercial copper recovery rate of 74 per cent using solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW) technology.
The technology will enable KCM to extract copper from previously processed material without undertaking additional mining of fresh ore, turning decades-old mining waste into a valuable secondary resource.
Under the EPC agreement signed on September 17, 2026, China NERIN Engineering will undertake the turnkey delivery of the facility, including engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, performance testing and workforce training.
Implementation is expected to take approximately 24 months, with the plant projected to reach its full production capacity of around 70,000 tonnes annually from its fourth year of operation.
The project will be financed by KCM through internally generated resources and falls outside Vedanta Resources’ initial US$1 billion investment programme for the mining company. ZCCM-IH, which holds a 20.6 per cent stake in KCM, will not be required to make an additional capital contribution towards the development.
KCM’s majority shareholder, CopperTech Metals, controls 79.4 per cent of the company and is controlled by Vedanta Resources.
ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer Kakenenwa Muyangwa said the development would unlock significant value from existing mineral resources while supporting Zambia’s ambition to increase annual copper production to three million tonnes by 2031.
The project is also expected to contribute towards KCM’s target of achieving annual copper production of 300,000 tonnes, while strengthening the country’s export earnings.
However, the scale of the development presents important engineering and environmental considerations as large-scale acid leaching operations require effective containment systems, corrosion-resistant materials and secondary bunding to minimise the risk of chemical spills.
The facility will also require careful management of water balances, solution circulation and tailings storage stability. Changes in pore-water pressure and repeated solution cycling could affect the stability of existing tailings storage facilities, making continuous geotechnical monitoring and environmental management essential.
Beyond its production potential, the Nchanga development reflects a growing industry focus on recovering valuable metals from historical mine waste.
By combining established SX-EW technology with a substantial secondary copper resource, KCM is positioning the project as a major contributor to Zambia’s long-term copper production ambitions.
If successfully implemented, the facility could establish a significant benchmark for large-scale tailings reprocessing across Africa’s mining industry.
