Zambian Copper Tailings Project Lands US$498M Contract
Mining contractors and copper producers can see a large-scale model for recovering copper from legacy waste at Nchanga.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Corporate Finance
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Konkola Copper Mines has signed a US$498 million engineering, procurement and construction agreement with China NERIN Engineering to build a Tailings Leach Plant at Nchanga, Zambia. The plant will reprocess historical tailings for copper recovery, and ZCCM Investments Holdings approved the project in September 2026.
Why it matters
The project turns decades-old mine waste into a copper revenue stream without new mining, a model that matters for mining service providers, equipment suppliers and contractors pricing work across Africa. Konkola Copper Mines is funding the plant from internally generated resources, and it sits outside Vedanta Resources' initial US$1 billion investment programme for the operation.
The US$498 million contract is the largest figure tied to the project, and the plant is projected to process 17.7 Mt of tailings a year to produce about 70,000 t of copper cathode at full capacity. Studies cite a 74 per cent recovery rate on tailings grading 0.54% copper, but the stub does not state how these projections were validated or how costs will track against the agreement.
The players
Konkola Copper Mines
Zambian copper producer controlled 79.4% by CopperTech Metals, operating the Nchanga and Konkola mining complex.
China NERIN Engineering
Chinese engineering contractor delivering the plant on a turnkey basis and supporting commissioning and training.
ZCCM Investments Holdings
Zambian state-linked investment holding company that owns a 20.6% equity stake in Konkola Copper Mines and approved the project.
Vedanta Resources
Diversified natural resources company that controls CopperTech Metals and committed an initial US$1 billion investment programme to Konkola Copper Mines.
The details
The plant uses solvent extraction and electrowinning to recover copper from 546 Mt of tailings stored at the TD5 dam, producing LME Grade A copper cathode. China NERIN Engineering will deliver the plant on a turnkey basis and will also support commissioning, performance testing and operator training. Implementation is expected to take 24 months, and the plant is expected to become the largest tailings leach facility in Africa.
Timeline
September 2026: ZCCM Investments Holdings approved the Tailings Leach Plant.
17 September 2026: Konkola Copper Mines signed the US$498 million agreement with China NERIN.
October 2026: ZCCM Investments Holdings reported its approval of the plant.
Around the fourth year of operation: output is expected to reach full capacity of about 70,000 t a year.
Market Landscape
Reprocessing legacy tailings extends the life of existing Zambian copper operations without new mine development, positioning the Nchanga complex against greenfield projects. The model connects to Vedanta's broader investment in Konkola Copper Mines, which the stub places alongside this plant as a separate funding stream.
Contractors, equipment suppliers and engineering firms serving African copper producers should watch for similar tailings-reprocessing contracts as operators look to recover value from legacy waste. Procurement and finance teams tracking mining-sector project pipelines should note that the plant is funded from internal resources and sits outside the initial Vedanta programme.
The takeaway
Operators in mining services should treat legacy tailings as a potential revenue asset and watch whether the 74 per cent recovery rate holds across the project's first years of operation. Teams tracking this sector should monitor the plant's commissioning milestones over the 24-month implementation period.
Further reading
For broader context on how capital is committed to large industrial projects like this, see Corporate Finance coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by International Mining.
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