After a decade-long delay, work on mining and metals company First Quantum Minerals’ (FQM’s) Sulphide No 3 (S3) expansion project, at the Kansanshi copper/gold mine, in Zambia, is now back on track, the company announced on October 19.

The project is expected to create almost 2 000 jobs at its peak, with FQM aiming to make the project more productive, efficient and environment-friendly by using diesel-electric mining equipment and embedding design and engineering improvements into the S3 process plant, based on learnings from its Sentinel and Cobre Panama operations, in Zambia and Panama, respectively.

Kansanshi mine GM Anthony Mukutuma said the mining firm had bolstered its fleet with the addition of the first of 41 Hitachi EH4000 diesel-electric dump trucks that had recently been commissioned on the mine site.

Speaking during the commissioning of the first EH4000 dump truck, Mukutuma explained that the Hitachi EH4000 dump truck was a diesel-electric truck with a payload capacity of 220 t and that four more of these dump trucks were already being assembled on site as part of the 41 trucks FQM was buying to ramp up production at the Kansanshi mine.

"FQM is taking steps to improve the environmental performance of the project by using diesel-electric mining equipment. This is considered a priority for us from both an environmental, social and governance and a productivity point of view.

“The company is also optimistic about the economic benefits that the S3 expansion is expected to bring to Zambia. The project will create jobs, generate tax revenue and boost the local economy. I am confident that the project is a success for all stakeholders," he said.

Mukutuma announced that the mine would commission and deploy two to three dump trucks a month for the next 12 months, marking a significant milestone in the S3 expansion project. He also said that construction of the process plant was under way and that all necessary equipment had been bought.

"As a company, we are pleased with this investment, as it will help us achieve our goal of increasing copper production to between 140 000 t/y and 180 000 t/y from 2025," he noted.

FQM anticipates that, at its height, the project will generate employment for almost 2 000 engineers and tradespeople. This number will decline as construction is finalised and the project goes into operation in early 2025.

FQM's investment in S3 is one of its largest so far. As Kansanshi mine's yearly copper output is projected to decrease with declining grades, to about 150 000 t/y, this expansion will extend its life to more than 20 years and will contribute towards the Zambian government's goal of producing three-million tonnes of copper by 2030.

Plans for the S3 expansion were halted in 2013 owing to adverse and inconsistent fiscal conditions. However, in May 2022, FQM announced an investment of $1.25-billion for the expansion of the Kansanshi mine, which includes expansion of the smelter, process plant and mining fleet, as part of the S3 project.

The economic impacts of the successful completion of this ambitious project are expected to be far-reaching, with increases in tax contributions, direct and indirect job opportunities, and more spending on goods and services by both employees and suppliers, which will boost both local and national economies.