Overview
Shaped by decades of continuous operation in Zambia’s Copperbelt, the Nchanga Complex is a fully integrated copper mining and processing operation within Konkola Plc’s portfolio. The asset comprises underground and open pit mining operations, multiple concentrator plants, a Tailings Leach Plant, smelting infrastructure, and downstream refining linkages, supported by a dedicated Tailings Complex.
Operational since the early 1950s, Nchanga has delivered significant cumulative copper production and continues to host large-scale infrastructure that underpins current and future operating capacity. Mining is currently sourced from one active open pit and the underground operation, while concentrators, the TLP, and the smelter process both internally generated material and third-party feed into copper anodes and refined cathode.
Looking ahead, planned infrastructure upgrades, renewed exploration activity, and increased integration of third-party feed are expected to support sustained production growth and long-term value creation.
Nchanga Complex at a glance
Location
Chingola
Operating since
1951
Smelting capacity
312 Ktpa
Reserves & Resources
3.2 Mt Cu.
13 Mtpa
Concentrator processing capacity
312 Ktpa
Smelter capacity
300 Ktpa
Refining capacity
18 Mtpa
Tailings leach processing capacity
Operations at Nchanga Complex
Integrated copper operations across the value chain
Mining at the Nchanga Complex is the product of decades of extraction in the Chingola region, where surface and underground operations have been developed in parallel with the evolving orebody. Over time, multiple open pits and a deep underground mine have formed a layered production system, shaped by both geological complexity and long-term operational scale. Today, activity is centered on a single operational open pit working alongside the underground mine, which continues to operate at approximately 920 meters below the surface.
Beyond primary extraction, the Tailings Complex expands Nchanga’s resource base into legacy material. Containing historical oxide tailings from earlier flotation operations, it provides a substantial secondary copper source while reducing the environmental footprint of past activity.
These mining streams combined, from active pits, underground workings, and historical tailings, feed directly into Nchanga’s integrated downstream processing system.
Key Capabilities
- Ore supply from open pit and underground mining operations
- Integrated feed flow from primary mining and tailings reprocessing
- Licensed operations across the Nchanga Complex mining license area
- Multi-source ore routing into centralized processing infrastructure
At the heart of the Nchanga Complex is a fully integrated processing chain connecting concentration, smelting, refining, and secondary recovery into a coordinated system. Copper concentrate from the Konkola and Nchanga concentrators, along with third-party feed, is directed to the Nchanga Smelter in Chingola, where direct blister flash smelting converts it into copper anodes. These anodes are either sold into the market or transported to the Nkana Refinery for conversion into refined cathode.
The primary copper stream is supported by adjacent cobalt recovery furnaces and sulfuric acid plants, producing copper-cobalt alloy for sale while returning sulfuric acid into the Tailings Leach Plant (TLP) circuit. Historical tailings from legacy flotation operations, combined with current concentrator tailings, are routed to the TLP for secondary recovery.
Together, these interconnected assets form a unified processing hub, enabling multiple feed sources, reinforcing operational resilience, and underpinning long-term value creation.
Key Capabilities
- Processing of ore from open pit and underground operations
- 13 Mtpa capacity across 3 concentrators
- 18 Mtpa tailings leach plant
- Production copper-cobalt alloy for sale
- Reuse byproducts like sulfuric acid
