Sino-Metals' jobs, investments create goodwill between China and Zambia

Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, or Sino-Metals, a subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group), or CNMC, is China's first large-scale copper hydrometallurgy enterprise invested overseas.

Located in the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Kalulushi town, Sino-Metals was registered locally and established in 2004 as a mining enterprise that combines mining, mineral processing and hydrometallurgy.

The company is held by CNMC with a 55 percent stake, Hong Kong Zhongfei Mining Investment with a 30 percent stake and NFC Africa Mining with a 15 percent stake.

Sino-Metals is primarily engaged in vertically integrated operations involving mineral resource development, mineral processing, hydrometallurgy and sales. It currently employs a total of 426 Zambian and Chinese staff. Its main products include copper cathode and copper concentrate. Their annual production capacities stand at 8,000 metric tons and 4,000 tons respectively.

The production process mainly involves leaching and solvent extraction to process medium to low-grade ores, mixed ores, tailings, etc, to produce copper cathode with a purity of more than 99.99 percent. The company recovers copper sulfide through flotation, and the product is copper concentrate. These products are widely used in industries such as power generation, electronics, construction, transport and household appliances, according to the company.

Currently, the company holds two mining licenses with a total area of 330 square kilometers. The Mwambashi mine, which operates as an open-pit mine, has an annual stripping volume of approximately 1.5 million cubic meters, yielding around 500,000 tons of ore for mining and serving as the primary source of ore for the company.

The Samba mine is a new project planned by the company with an estimated resource of 291,000 tons of copper. In September 2023, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema visited CNMC, where he witnessed the signing of the work agreement for the development of the Samba mine project between CNMC and Sino-Metals.

According to the company, the project is scheduled to start construction in 2025 and be operational by the end of 2027, with an estimated investment of around $200 million. Once completed, it will have the capacity to process 1.5 million tons of ore annually, adding 20,000 tons of copper concentrate to the output of Sino-Metals.

Adhering to the concept of "China-Zambia cooperation for common development", Sino-Metals regards fulfilling social responsibilities and promoting local development as cornerstones for its operations, contributing to the stable development of Sino-Zambian relations.

Since 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the company has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and educational conditions for local residents, promoting education development to support social and economic progress. The company has maintained good relations with the Zambian government, paying a total of $217 million in taxes and donating more than $300,000. Moreover, it has created more than 2,000 jobs, earning the support of the Zambian government and the recognition of local people.

Following the principle of being people-oriented, the company said it has had no serious accidents since its establishment and commencement of operations, with no production-related fatalities. In the past two years, there have been no injuries or equipment accidents; there is a zero injury rate per 1,000 workers and no incidences of occupational diseases.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Zambia, as well as the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Metals. Leveraging the Mwambashi and Samba mines, the company will demonstrate the responsibilities of a central enterprise in accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm, supporting regional economic growth in Zambia through high-quality development.

The company will continue to contribute to the enduring friendship between China and Zambia, strengthen and optimize its operations, and with practical actions, assist Zambian President Hichilema in achieving the goal of reaching an annual production of 3 million tons of copper by 2030, executives said.