Kamoa Copper Smelter Successfully Charges Furnace in Single Attempt

Wedoany.com Report-Dec.30, At 14:00 local time on December 29, the Kamoa Smelter successfully cast its first furnace of anode plates, marking the official commencement of the trial production phase for Africa's largest copper smelter.

The project is designed with an annual production capacity of 500,000 tons of anode plates and 800,000 tons of by-product sulfuric acid. It is the world's fourth facility to adopt the flash furnace direct-to-copper process and is one of the largest single-line copper smelters globally. The full integration of the project's process flow signifies that Zijin has become the first team in China and even Asia to master the flash furnace direct-to-copper process, adding a new technological option for the Group's internationalization in copper smelting.

Construction of the Kamoa Smelter began in April 2022. With strong support from the Group company and various shareholders, the project overcame numerous challenges, including insufficient power supply, and achieved readiness for furnace charging in May 2025.

The smooth commissioning of the project will transition Kamoa from selling copper concentrate to selling anode plates, extending the enterprise's industrial chain and further enhancing its degree of industrialization.

Upon reaching full production capacity, the project is expected to save over USD 300 million in transportation costs annually, with considerable benefits also generated from the by-product sulfuric acid. Furthermore, the copper smelter will directly create nearly a thousand local jobs, effectively stimulating supporting community industries and local economic growth.