Kitwe
Zambia

KCM is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London listed FTSE 100 metals and mining group.

1970 Prior - Anglo American Corporation and Roan Selection Trust owned the mines. After negotiations between the Zambian Government and the two mining groups, the mines were reorganised into Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines Limited (NCCM) and Roan Consolidated Mines Limited (RCM). Through Mining and Industrial Development Corporation Limited (MINDECO), the Government acquired a 51 per cent interest and Zambia Copper Investments (ZCI) acquired the remaining 49 per cent in NCCM.
1974 - Mindeco's 51 per cent shareholding in NCCM was transferred to ZIMCO.  The Government acquired 51 % shares in RCM. The Roan Selection Trust, ZCI and the general public held the rest.
1981 - RCM and NCCM were merged to form a conglomerate called Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM).
1991 - Zambia became a multi-party state when the Movement of Multi-party Democracy (MMD) was elected. The government embarked on an exercise to privatise parastatal companies, including the mining industry.
2000 - The privatising programme was completed when ZCCM assets were bought by Mopani Copper Mines plc and Konkola Copper Mines plc. Anglo American plc acquired a 51% shares in KCM.
2002 - Anglo America, IFC and CDC withdrew as shareholders of KCM, leaving a restructured company whose main shareholders were ZCCM IH and ZCI.
2004 - Vedanta Resources became the major shareholders in KCM with a 51 per cent share in the Company.

Venanta Resources: 51%
Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM): 20.6%
Zambia Copper Investments Limited: 28.4%

Nkana Smelter

Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) is the largest mining and metals company in Zambia with annual capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes of copper.

The smelter produces high grade anodes, which are electrolytically refined. Sulphur dioxide gas produced by the Converters is converted into sulphuric acid which is then used at the Tailings Leach Plant, Nchanga for recovering oxide copper. The smelter also produces discard slag from the reverbs that is rich in cobalt which is stored for future reclamation.

www.grinaker-lta.com - 2001 - This project consisted of the upgrading of the existing 600 tpd Teniente converter to accept the injection of bone dry concentrate in order to increase throughput to 1200 tpd of copper produced. The wet concentrate is dried in a flash dryer and is then pneumatically conveyed and injected through tuyeres into the reactor vessel.  The project also included the major overhaul of a 1000 tpd sulphuric acid plant in two 30 day shutdown periods, viz July 2001 and August 2003. Refurbishment included the replacement of the drying tower, acid recirculation tank and main gas ductwork.

February 19, 2009 - Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has shut its Nkana Smelter and cut 677 jobs, a company spokesman said on Thursday.  KCM spokesman Rahur Kharkar said the Nkana smelter had been shut after the company started to rely on the new Nchanga smelter in Chingola, north of Lusaka.  "Yes we have," Kharkar said in response to a question on whether the smelter, with an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes of copper, had been shut down.  Kharkar said shifting to Nchanga would help cut costs.  "At Nchanga, the processing route is faster and it will help us to cut (production) costs by 50 cents per pound," he said.  He said 677 miners who could not be absorbed at the new smelter had been made redundant.  Kharkar said the Nchanga smelter, which has an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes of copper, was also producing 1,800 tonnes of acid each day.  KCM, which is majority owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc is Zambia's largest copper producer.  KCM operates the Nchanga open pit and Konkola copper mines, the Nchanga smelter and the Fitwaola satellite copper mine.

December 9, 2003 - Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) announced a further reduction in its copper output for 2003 because of a shutdown in July of its Nkana Smelter plant.  It said in the firm's official publication, however, it would enter 2004 in a much stronger position through stringent cost-cutting measures and investment.  "The $10-million refurbishment carried out at Nkana Smelter during the shut down has put the plant in good stead for the projected target of 229 000 t (finished copper) in 2004," chief financial officer Jordan Soko said.  Production for 2003 was now expected to drop further to 191 000 t from the earlier revised annual output of 200 000 t of finished copper, Soko said in Konkola News.  KCM, which accounts for some 67% of total Zambia's metals output, said in October its production would slide to 200 000 t from 226 000 due to fuel and acid shortages that hit Zambia in mid-2003.   "KCM is currently predicting to achieve a finished copper production of 191 000 t," Soko was quoted as saying.  He also said 2004 copper production had been forecast at 229 000 t and that the miner's budget for capital investment had been projected at $70-million.  "The production cost of 65 cents a pound must be achieved to support the ambitious $70-million capital investment that will set the company on the right footing," Soko said.  He said the production shortfall was mainly due to the month-long Nkana shutdown and a shortage of sulphuric acid supplies to the Tailings Leach Plant (TLP), coupled with the high cost of importing acid.  KCM operates the Nchanga open-pit and Konkola copper-mines and the Nampundwe pyrite-mine.