Rongxine Mine increases copper production capacity

Rongxine Mine, in Chambishi on the Copper belt Province, has embarked on expansion of copper production capacity to 10, 000 metric tons per year. The development will also include the renovation and expansion of its plant to meet the expected increase of the copper production.‎ Rongxine Mine Project Consultant Kelvin Mwansa said the increase in Copper production will create more jobs and improve the livelihood of people working for mines.

‎The media reports that Mr Mwansa disclosed this during a consultative meeting with the community along the Lwela stream in Chambishi area.‎‎He said the company which has been operational since 2021 has experienced wear and tear which has highly affected the production capacity to only 500 metric tons per year.‎‎“Because of this Rongxine is proposing to renovate and expand the two leach plants and we will be demolishing plant one and two to make them into plant three,” he said. Mr Mwansa noted that the expected infrastructure will be modern to meet the 95 percent copper recovery.‎‎“Since Rongxine is dealing with acid almost all the time we will construct and install an acid neutralisation facility to ensure that no amount of acid is discharged into the environment,” he said.‎‎Mr Mwansa disclosed that the leach plant which Rongxine mine is proposing will not emit any gases into the atmosphere.‎‎And Kalulushi Member of Parliament Kampamba Mulenga has welcomed the investment and urged the company to avoid polluting the streams as it affects the community’s way of life which depends on farming.‎‎Ms Mulenga said the company should also consider employing the people who are the beneficiaries of the project.‎‎Meanwhile, Kalulushi Mayor Daudi Simama also welcomed the proposed expansion of copper production as it will create jobs for the people.‎‎And speaking on behalf of the community, Peter Luangwe said the people are worried about the pollution which they have been experiencing.‎‎Mr Luangwe said there is need for the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to take kin interest in the expansion project because they want to continue farming along the stream without experiencing pollution of their crops.‎