In a significant move to boost efficiency and production, Vedanta’s Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Zambia has commenced a 60-day shutdown of its Nchanga smelter. This maintenance and repair operation started recently and aims to strengthen the plant’s long-term performance.
The Nchanga smelter, a key part of KCM’s operations, produced over 80,000 metric tons of copper in 2025. The shutdown is a strategic step in the company’s broader plan to modernize its facilities and increase output to 300,000 tons per year by 2030. This aligns with Zambia’s national goal of raising copper production to 3 million tons by 2031, a substantial increase from 890,346 tons in 2025.
This shutdown coincides with maintenance at two other major plants, Mopani and Chambishi, meaning three of Zambia’s main processing sites will be offline between June and mid-September. This could tighten supplies of copper and sulphuric acid, the latter crucial for processing copper and cobalt, especially at a time when global supplies are already disrupted by the conflict in Iran.
Despite this, KCM will maintain acid supply to its Nchanga tailings leach plant by sourcing externally and using its own acid plant. This ensures copper recovery from waste continues without interruption, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustaining production even during challenging periods.
This maintenance phase marks a critical chapter in Zambia’s copper industry, with hopes that these upgrades will fuel a stronger, more reliable future for the nation’s vital mining sector.
