Modern Mining January 2022

COPPER

with the project’s Phase 3 mine and concentra- tor expansion, and the upgrading of Turbine 5 at the Inga II hydropower complex. The smelter is projected to be one of the largest single-line blister- copper flash smelters in the world, and the largest in Africa,” says De Villiers. Exceeding expectations Meanwhile, Kamoa Copper’s Phase 1, 3,8 Mtpa concentrator plant, which is currently operating at steady-state design capacity, continues to achieve excellent production performance. “The 2021 guidance,” explains Farren, “had been raised to between 92 500 to 100 000 tonnes in November 2021 from an initial range of 80 000 to 95 000 tonnes, during the course of the successful ramp-up of Kamoa Copper’s Phase 1 concentrator plant, which began operations in late May 2021 and reached commercial operations on July 1, 2021.” Kamoa Copper’s copper-in-concentrate produc- tion for the year ended December 31, 2021 totalled 105 884 tonnes, exceeding the upper end of the increased guidance range of 92 500 to 100 000 tonnes. The year-end total was boosted by record monthly production of 18 853 tonnes of copper in concentrate achieved in December. During the month of December 2021, a record 372 000 tonnes of ore was milled at an average feed grade of 5,98% copper, exceeding the monthly design run rate of 316 667 tonnes by more than 17%. Copper flotation recoveries also achieved a record 88,5% in December. The Phase 1, steady- state design copper recovery is approximately 86%, depending on ore feed grade. The 2022 annual production guidance for the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex in the DRC is

Chinese state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group) and Hong Kong-based Gold Mountains International Mining Company, a subsidiary of China’s Zijin Mining, which owns a 39,6% stake in Kamoa Copper, signed offtake agreements for 50% each of Kamoa Copper’s Phase 1 copper output. More milestones Kamoa Copper’s Phase 1, 3,8 million-tonne-per- annum concentrator plant was deemed to have reached commercial production on July 1, 2021, after achieving a milling rate in excess of 80% of design capacity and recoveries very close to 70% for a con- tinuous, seven-day period. “Copper production exceeded 500 tonnes per day toward the end of July, nearing the Phase 1 steady-state design capacity of approximately 550 tonnes per day, or 200 000 tonnes per year,” explains Farren. In July 2021, adds Farren, Kamoa Copper began exporting copper concentrate internationally. The first truckloads of copper concentrate destined for smelters outside of the DRC departed from the mine site on 17 July 2021. The copper concentrate for export is being transported in bags, with each bag containing approximately 2 tonnes. The concentrate is exported internationally via the port of Durban, South Africa. Another key milestone was the awarding of the basic engineering contract for the planned direct-to- blister copper smelter to China-based China Nerin Engineering, says De Villiers. The 500 000 Cu tonnes per annum smelter is planned to be built adjacent to the Kamoa Copper Phase 1 and 2 con- centrator plants. “The smelter is expected to be built concurrently

Kamoa Copper blister copper ingots, containing approximately 99% copper, produced at the Lualaba Copper Smelter near Kolwezi, DRC.

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28  MODERN MINING  January 2022