Name of the Project
Kansanshi mine – S3 expansion project.

Location
Zambia.

Project Owner/s
Canada-based mining and metals company First Quantum Minerals (FQM).

Project Description
The project has total proven and probable reserves of 842.7-million tonnes grading 0.63% total copper. Total measured and indicated reserves are estimated at 939.6-million tonnes grading 0.67% total copper for a mine life of 24 years.

The S3 expansion is expected to transition the current selective high-grade, medium-scale operation to a medium-grade, larger-scale mining operation that will be more appropriate for the higher proportion of primary, lower-grade sulphide ores at depth.

When completed, the S3 expansion will comprise a standalone 25-million-tonne-a-year processing plant with a new and larger mining fleet, which will increase Kansanshi’s total yearly throughput to 53-million tonnes.

The S3 processing train will include a 28 MW semiautogenous grinding mill and a 22 MW ball mill. The openpit mine will be expanded to increase the supply of sulphide ore from the main pit and extend into the south-east dome deposit.

The expanded mining fleet will use high-end equipment and will include new electric loading and drilling equipment, along with the extension of the current electric trolley assist infrastructure.

In parallel with the expansion of the mine and processing facilities, First Quantum plans to increase the throughput capacity of the Kansanshi smelter from 1.38-million tonnes a year to 1.65-million tonnes a year of concentrate. This will enable the smelter to produce more than 400 000 t/y of copper anode.

Once the expansion is completed, copper production from Kansanshi is expected to average about 250 000 t/y for the remaining life-of-mine to 2044.

Potential Job Creation
The project will add about 800 permanent jobs and a further 1 800 during the construction phase.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The total capital expenditure associated with the S3 expansion is expected to be $1.25-billion, which includes $900-million on the S3 plant and mine fleet, and $350-million for prestripping of the south-east dome pit.

Planned Start/End Date
First production from the S3 expansion is expected in 2025.

Latest Developments
FQM has reported that the expansion project is on track for completion by mid-2025, with significant progress made in key construction and commissioning areas. 

By the end of 2024, construction of the process plant had reached 62% completion, with early commissioning work already under way. System configuration of the plant control system was 80% complete, focusing on the cleaner and reagent circuits, as well as functional testing of service areas. 

Operational readiness also stood at 62%, with personnel undergoing training on the process simulator.

Meanwhile, FQM reported in its results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, that expansion efforts at the Kansanshi smelter are progressing. The new waste heat boiler condenser and fifth train of wet electrostatic precipitators have been successfully commissioned, while installation of the high-pressure oxygen compressor has been completed, with commissioning under way. All major oxygen plant equipment is on-site, and installation is advancing. Acid Plant 5’s civil works are complete, with structural, mechanical, and piping installations ongoing.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
First Quantum Minerals, email info@fqml.com.