Category: Electricity

Zambia’s Chambishi Copper Smelter, owned by China Nonferrous Metal Mining Corp (CNMC), has cut one-fifth of its production due to severe power shortages in the country. The smelter, a key processing facility in Zambia, typically produces 250,000 tonnes of copper annually. However, ongoing droughts and maintenance projects by state-owned power utility Zesco have led to reduced electricity supply, prompting Chambishi to scale back capacity. Sources indicate that Chambishi began reducing production last week, anticipating power rationing announced by Zesco starting March 11. To address concerns about power security during shortages,… Read More Here

Stabilisation of the national power grid is a prerequisite to increasing Zambia’s copper production to 3 million tonnes a year, says First Quantum Minerals (FQM). The need to ensure that power is available ahead of new mine production, and that this power is efficiently transmitted through the national grid cannot be over emphasised, said the company. The message came as the country’s largest power user hosted engineers from ZESCO this week at its Trident mine in Kalumbila as part of on-going discussions to improve the efficiency of the nation’s power… Read More Here