KCM Installing Generators To Stabilize Power Supply -Co

[bingogo]

KCM Installing Generators To Stabilize Power Supply -Co
Posted on: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:21:50 EDT

Symbols: VDNRF

* Email to friend
* Print
* Add This
* RSS Feed
* Font size: A A A

Sep 30, 2010 (Dow Jones Commodities News via Comtex) --

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES


Zambia's largest copper miner by output, Konkola Copper Mines PLC (KONKOLA.ZM) said Thursday it is installing power generators at it Konkola business unit to stabilize power supply at its underground mine.

Jacqueline Kabeta, KCM's head of corporate affairs, said in a statement that the company wants to make sure the mine has a stable power supply and the quality of discharged water is not compromised by pumps failing when there is a sudden power outage on the national grid. KCM is a unit of London-listed Vedanta Resources PLC (VED.LN).

In June, the Konkola mine suffered flooding at its underground unit for several days after water pumps got damaged following a nationwide power failure, blamed on obsolete equipment at Zambia's two largest hydro power stations. The outages also trapped scores of miners underground for several hours.

Since 2008, Zambia has endured a spate of power outages, hurting copper mining operations across the country. Zambia is Africa's largest copper producer.

According to Kabeta, KCM is continuing to invest heavily in modern technology that ensures that all its operations meet local and international environmental and safety standards.

"The company is also modernizing its Nchanga concentrator to make it more environmentally friendly," she said. "The old East and West Mills are to be replaced with more modern, self-contained, zero-discharge plants with greater efficiency."

Since Vedanta took over KCM in 2004, it has invested at least $1.5 billion in upgrades and expansion projects, and company officials say KCM is on course to produce up to 500,000 metric tons of copper a year by 2011-12 when its deep mine project comes onstream. Last year, KCM's copper output is estimated to have reach 305,000 tons.

According to Kabeta, the recently refurbished Nkana refinery and the new 300,000-tons-a-year Nchanga Smelter have been awarded an ISO 14001 certification for environmental management at first attempt following the installation of modern facility.

-By Nicholas Bariyo, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; 256-75-2624615 bariyonic@yahoo.co.uk

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-30-10 1321ET