A unit of China Nonferrous Mining Corporation has been given Zambian government approval to build an US$832 million copper mine that will add 60,000t to the country's annual output of the metal.



Reuters has quoted company spokesman Nelson Jilowa as saying that Zambia's environmental management agency, whose approval is required for all large infrastructure projects, has allowed NFC Africa Mining Corporation to proceed to with its South East Ore Body project, about 400km north-west of the capital.

“Construction will start this year,” Jilowa said. “NFC Africa will build a copper processing plant and sink four shafts for production, services and ventilation,” he told Reuters.

The copper concentrate would be processed further at the Chinese-owned Chambishi Copper Smelter or other smelters located on the Copperbelt, Jilowa added.

The South East Ore Body had copper ore reserves estimated at more than 76Mt at an average grade of 2.18%, according to a document submitted to the environmental agency.