Zambia is set to emerge as Africa’s largest nickel producer following First Quantum Minerals (FQM)’s pledge to invest US$100 million in the Enterprise Nickel project.
The existing Nickel mine – Munali Nickel has a total annual production capacity of about 4,000 tonnes (over 300 tonnes per month) and this will add to the 30,000 tonnes that FQMs Kalumbila Nickel mine is expected to produce.
First Quantum Minerals has disclosed that the new Enterprise Nickel project will be operational within 12 months.
According to a statement from FQM, made available to the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, once operational,the mine will employ approximately 700 full time staff.
The new Enterprise Nickel mine located approximately 14 kilometres from FQM sentinel mine in Kalumbila, has been given the go ahead, following FQM’s pledge to invest a final US$100 million in the project.
Once operational,the enterprise will be on the top ten 10 global nickel mine producing 30, 000 tons of nickel in concentrate annually, which will make Zambia Africa’s pre-eminent nickel producer.
“Enterprise high grade nickel sulphide deposits provide precisely the type of nickel that is required to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles-EVs thus positioning Zambia as a producer of strategic metals”, the company said.
The company noted that copper and nickel, are vital to the production of the new technologies and the green energy revolution.
