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Business Reporter

THE copper processing plant at Alaska Mine has been completed as scheduled, this was said by Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando at the post Cabinet media briefing held Tuesday.

Giving an update on the progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the second 100-Day Cycle of 2022, Minister Chitando said, “Construction of the copper processing plant at Alaska in Mashonaland West Province has been completed as scheduled.”

The mine in Chinhoyi is being revived through a collaborative partnership between Grand Sanyuan, a Chinese investor, and Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). The processing plant was restarted through a US$6 million capital injection by Chinese investors.

The Alaska copper smelting plant has been defunct since 2000, but has now been resuscitated and is fully operational with a target to produce 300 tonnes of copper per day.

The total capital injection required is US$12 million and so far, Grand Sanyuan Copper Resources has poured in half the amount.

In an article published by this paper on May 14, 2022, Grand Sanyuan Copper Resources general manager, Zhang Wen spoke on the scope of the project.

“By the end of July this year, we will put our smelter into production and at the initial stage we will use the treatment of 300 tonnes of copper dumps inside the plant,” he said.

The plant will have four furnaces that will cater to raw materials taken from as far as Mhangura Copper Mine, Shamrock Mine near Karoi, Angwa Mine, and Shackelton Mine. Revival of Alaska Mine comes as demand for copper is set to soar as renewable energy such as wind and solar become more popular. Copper is key to electric vehicles, wind, and solar power, as well as the infrastructure that transports and stores renewable energy.

Copper is also key to the infrastructure that transports renewable energy, thanks in part to its electrical conductivity and low reactivity. Its uses include cables, transistors, and inverters.

According to a new report from S&P Global, copper demand is likely to double to 50 million metric tons by 2035.  That’s as much copper as consumed in the world between 1900 and 2021, according to the S&P Global report.

Minister Chitando said the copper project dovetails with Vision 2030 and the target to attain a US$12 billion mining economy by 2023.

“We are looking at it in the context of vision 2030 and the US$12 billion vision for the industry. We are on a drive to ensure copper assets are revived. About four projects are on course for resuscitation,” he said.

Other project updates given by the minister included the Lithium Processing Plant at Sabi Star Mine in Buhera which he said is now 45 percent complete, and on schedule for completion in January 2023. According to Minister Chitando, at Mimosa Mine in Zvishavane, concentrator optimization is now 59 complete, while civil and earthworks are nearing completion, and structural steelwork erection and mill installation are underway.

The construction of the coke oven battery at Dinson Colliery in Hwange is said to be 50 percent complete.  An update on the Dinson Iron and Steel Mine in Mvuma with the Minister telling Cabinet that, “Construction of the Carbon Steel Plant is progressing well, as the foundation of the steel plant structure and supporting infrastructure are 70 percent complete.

“Most of the blast furnace components are at the steel plant site and ready for installation and the construction of the power line from Sherwood to Manhize is on course.”

The steel plant is set to employ at least 10 000 people directly and 50 000 across the downstream.