Zambian government has launched $2 billion Super Pit Expansion project at Barrick’s Lumwana copper mine with an aim to transform Lumwana into a top 25 copper producer and a Tier One copper mine.
His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, Zambian President on Wednesday this week lead members of his cabinet during the officially launch of the project whose feasibility study is expected by the end of the year, with construction scheduled to begin in 2025.
“The groundbreaking of Lumwana Mine Super Pit is a major milestone for Zambia. With a total investment of $2bn, this expansion will boost our copper industry, create over 3,000 construction jobs & 1,500 long-term jobs,” said Hichilema in a statement on his X handle.
The expansion involves first doubling throughput of the existing process circuit and then significantly increasing mining volumes. Plant throughput will grow from the current 27Mt to 52Mt, doubling the mine’s annual copper production from 120kt to a life-of-mine average of 240kt a year.
The process plant expansion is supported by a ramp-up of total mining volumes, which are planned to increase incrementally year-on-year, from 150Mt in 2025 to approximately 240Mt in 2028 and then to an average rate of 290t per annum from 2030 onwards.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony also attended by the Barrick board of directors, Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said a critical element of the Super Pit Expansion was its focus on creating a sustainable legacy through the development of local capacity within the region, which would benefit both local communities and businesses throughout the construction and operational phases. The expansion will need around 550 additional workers over the next five years to support the ramp up and an additional 2,500 construction workers for a three-year period to 2028.
“We are also planning to build critical infrastructure, including an airstrip and an industrial supplier park. This will enable key suppliers to establish themselves in the area, creating an economic hub that will further fuel growth and development in the wider region,” Bristow said.
“Mining plays a key role in Zambia’s economic structure and our partnership with Barrick is creating one team with a shared vision to develop a new economic frontier in the North-Western Province of the country and beyond,” said President Hakainde Hichilema.