PT Freeport Indonesia has officially commenced operations at its new copper smelter in Gresik, East Java. The $3.7 billion facility is set to process 1.7 million tonnes of copper concentrate annually, with an output capacity of 900,000 tonnes of copper cathode, 50 tonnes of gold, and 210 tonnes of silver each year. President Joko “Jokowi”...
READ MOREKAZ Minerals, a leading copper producer in Kazakhstan, announced a 4% year-on-year decrease in copper production for the first half of 2024, totaling 190,900 tonnes. The drop in output was primarily due to a lower ore grade, though record ore processing levels—47.5 million tonnes, up 7% from the same period in 2023—partially mitigated the impact....
READ MOREThe World Copper Factbook 2024, published by the International Copper Study Group (ICSG), highlights significant long-term trends in the global copper market. Since 1900, when global copper production stood at less than 500,000 tonnes, the annual growth rate has averaged 3.14%, reaching 22.4 million tonnes in 2023. Solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) production, which was virtually non-existent...
READ MOREChina’s leading copper smelters have called for reductions in output as raw material shortages persist, sources familiar with the matter revealed on Tuesday. At a meeting of the China Smelters Purchase Team (CSPT) in Shanghai, participants urged cuts in production and extensions of maintenance periods, although no formal decision was reached. China, which accounts for...
READ MOREKGHM, the Polish mining group, reported a 43% decline in payable silver production in August, with output reaching 75.1 tonnes due to a maintenance shutdown at its precious metals plant. Silver sales also fell, amounting to 85.1 tonnes, down 34% year-on-year. Despite the drop in silver production, KGHM’s copper operations performed strongly. Payable copper production...
READ MOREArtificial Intelligence to Exacerbate Copper Shortages Developments in the artificial intelligence sector are expected to aggravate the looming shortage of copper, a metal crucial for the global transition to cleaner energy sources, according to Vandita Pant, CFO of BHP Group. The growth of data centers and AI technologies, which demand higher energy consumption for computing,...
READ MOREOn Monday, September 23, President Joko Widodo inaugurated a new copper smelter in Indonesia, operated by Amman Mineral. The facility is part of Indonesia’s efforts to enhance its position in global copper production and reduce reliance on exporting raw materials. The new copper processing plant, located in West Nusa Tenggara, was built at a cost...
READ MOREZambia’s copper production currently stands at 800,000 metric tonnes per year, but the government is setting its sights on a significant increase, aiming to boost output to 3 million tonnes by 2031. This ambitious target was highlighted by Mines Ministry Permanent Secretary Hapenga Kabeta during the launch of PwC Zambia’s Mining Sector Review Report. Kabeta...
READ MOREChina’s copper cathode production in August 2024 saw a slight decrease of 1.4% year-on-year, according to the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). However, output for the month still rose by 2.5% year-on-year to 1.013 million tons. Over the first eight months of the year, production increased by 6.5%, reaching 7.960 million tons, despite ongoing challenges in...
READ MOREThe rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is expected to worsen the global copper shortage, according to BHP, the world’s largest mining company, as reported by the *Financial Times*. BHP forecasts that growing demand for data centers and AI-related infrastructure, which require energy-intensive computing, could increase the global need for copper by an additional...
READ MOREAccording to analysts at BofA Securities, copper prices are benefiting from strong demand, constrained supply, and increased investment in clean energy transition projects. Despite global macroeconomic concerns, copper has shown surprising resilience, with a 6% rise year-to-date in 2024. Key drivers of this growth include inadequate mine supply, declining ore output, and processing challenges, which...
READ MOREJetty, a U.S.-based startup working on advanced smelting technologies, has announced that John Slaven will take over as CEO starting next month. Slaven brings extensive experience from previous senior roles at companies such as BHP, Alcoa, and Betanda. Jetty is developing copper hydrometallurgical technology aimed at extracting copper from low-grade ores, which were previously considered...
READ MOREHindalco’s copper division is set to invest $2.94 billion (₹24,500 crore) across two major copper projects in Gujarat, including the establishment of India’s first electronic waste (e-waste) recycling facility in Dahej, South Gujarat. The new facility will have an annual production capacity of 200,000 tonnes of copper, marking a significant step toward copper recycling in...
READ MOREIvanhoe Electric has provided an update on the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona, where it continues to make strides towards project development. The company remains on schedule to complete its Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) by the second quarter of 2025. This study, which is now 50% complete, will be critical for Ivanhoe Electric’s decision-making...
READ MOREZambia’s largest mines are turning to South Africa’s Eskom Holdings to combat a severe energy crisis caused by a historic drought. This crisis has depleted the country’s hydropower resources, threatening the shutdown of the Kariba Dam, the world’s largest man-made reservoir, which supplies the majority of Zambia’s power. The drought has reduced power generation, leaving...
READ MORETrue North Copper has successfully ramped up mining activities at its Wallace North deposit, part of the Cloncurry Copper Project (CCP) in Queensland. The company remains on track to become Australia’s next copper producer and critical metals supplier by the first quarter of 2025, as CCP progresses toward restarting operations. To date, approximately 155,000 bank...
READ MOREFrom January to July 2024, Uzbekistan’s copper tube production surged by 33.9% year-on-year, reaching 17.4 thousand tons, according to the country’s Statistical Agency. In July alone, production amounted to 2.5 thousand tons, reflecting the growing capacity of the sector. Uzbekistan’s metal exports also saw a significant boost, with the country exporting $84.3 million worth of...
READ MORESouth Korea’s Doosan Corporation has completed the construction of a state-of-the-art copper foil plant, which will produce materials essential for automotive electronic components and 5G communication equipment. The company held a ceremony on Thursday to mark the completion of the high-end flexible copper-clad laminate (FCCL) plant at the Horizon Industrial Complex in Gimje, North Jeolla...
READ MOREToronto-based miner Barrick Gold announced that it expects to complete the feasibility study for a significant expansion of its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia by the end of this year, with construction slated to begin in 2025. The planned expansion aims to increase plant throughput from 27 million tonnes to 52 million tonnes annually by...
READ MOREArtemis Resources and Anax Metals have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the potential of processing copper assets from Artemis’ Carlow Castle deposit at the Whim Creek processing hub in Pilbara. The Carlow Castle deposit holds an inferred resource of 64,000 tonnes of copper, and the companies are considering the inclusion of other...
READ MOREBEP Surface Technologies, a specialist in electroplating, has entered into a strategic partnership with nanodiamond manufacturer Carbodeon to develop the world’s first copper-nanodiamond composite coating. This collaboration aims to create a novel material with enhanced thermal conductivity and improved wear resistance. Nanodiamonds, microscopic diamond particles, possess unique structures that significantly improve the performance of metal...
READ MOREVale Base Metals (VBM) announced on Wednesday that it is moving ahead with the dismantling of the copperstack and superstack at the Copper Cliff smelter complex in Sudbury, Ontario. This marks the next phase in the company’s efforts to modernize its Canadian operations. The project stems from a multi-billion-dollar investment program unveiled in 2010, which...
READ MOREAfter reaching a peak of $10,800 per tonne in May 2024, copper prices have fallen by 19% in recent months due to sluggish demand, particularly from China. Despite this downturn, the long-term outlook for copper remains optimistic, encouraging plans to increase production in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia. BHP, the world’s second-largest...
READ MOREIran is pushing to speed up the development of the massive Janja copper and gold mining project in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, aiming to harness the project’s economic benefits to uplift the impoverished region near the Afghan border. On his first official visit, newly-appointed industries minister Mohammad Atabak toured the Janja project...
READ MORE
