The unfavorable issues surrounding Konkola Copper Mines KCM and Mopani have triggered varying factors which has pushed down annual sulphiric acid production by 9%
Zambia’s annual sulphiric acid production has reduced from 2, 086 010 metric tons produced in 2021 to 1,907 194 metric tons produced in 2022.
Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Minerals development have attributed the decrease to low copper production at Mopani, Konkola Copper mine and also reduced copper productions at First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi copper mine due to low ore grades.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT – Chief Mining Engineer at the ministry of Mines, Willie Chilufya, explained that sulphuric acid is produced by Mopani, KCM and Kansanshi copper mines and these companies their production is very low and consequently the sulphuric acid production has been low as the material coming to the smelter is minimal.
Chilufya added that the production at the smelter for Kansanshi, KCM and Mopani is very low as the three are the major companies currently producing sulphuric acid in Zambia as it comes as a by-product from copper.
According to Government official mineral statistics from the ministry of Mines and minerals Development, 2022 sulphuric acid annual production has dropped 178 816 metric tons.
This represents a 9% decrease in sulphuric acid production when compared to 1907194 metric tons produced in 2021.
“First of whole we concentrate on minerals and we don’t concentrate on by-products like sulphiric acid. Sulphiric acid even the mines don’t bother because their line of business is to produce copper and so the decrease in production is attributed to the low copper production at the mines indicated above.” Chilufya said.
