Zambia Copper Smelters Schedule Extended Maintenance
Mopani and Chambishi smelters plan extended maintenance later this year. The move will likely reduce copper output and tighten regional sulphuric acid supplies.
Two of the largest Copper smelters and sulphuric acid producers in Zambia are preparing for extended maintenance shutdowns later this year. This move is expected to further squeeze output and disrupt the availability of sulphuric acid, a critical chemical used in the extraction of both copper and cobalt.
The Iran war has already strained global supplies of essential leaching chemicals. This has forced mining operations in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo—the world's leading cobalt producer and second-largest copper producer—to scale back chemical usage or evaluate potential production cuts.
