Tag: Metallurgical Acid

Adani Group subsidiary Kutch Copper has commenced operations at its new Mundra copper refinery and smelter, the company announced on 28 March. The company previously indicated an expected start-up by the end of Q1. The new smelter will help boost domestic supplies of copper, demand for which is robust from the construction, transport and power sectors in particular and likely to double by 2030, with the shift towards clean energy and electric vehicles. This first phase of the project will have around 500,000 t/a copper capacity, with a similar capacity planned to be added in the second phase by 2029.

It is reported that Tongling Nonferrous is planning production cuts this year given current record low treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs). CRU estimates that the company’s potential cutbacks will total 67,000 tonnes of copper for the year. However, the start-up of the Jinguan II and Chifeng Jinjian II projects could offset the reduction in concentrate demand at operational smelters. Tongling Nonferrous owns five operational smelters/refineries with a total of 1.28 million t/a blister capacity and 1.73 million t/a refined capacity, respectively. It is understood that the Chifeng Jintong 220,000 t/a smelter has cut operating rates by 10% since early March due to concentrate tightness.

CRU’s World Copper Conference was run at the start of April 2025 in Santiago, Chile, with the industry facing a crossroads. The Americas account for nearly half of the world’s mined copper, with South America producing 38% and North America contributing 10%. However, North American copper mines face cash costs 51% above the global average and 79% higher than those of their South American neighbours, positioning the region as one of the most expensive copper-producing areas globally. These high costs create a significant challenge, especially as securing a reliable copper supply has emerged as a geopolitical priority.

Indonesia is increasing the royalty rates that the government takes on metals mined within the country. The Indonesian government has proposed a tiered royalty structure on nickel ore sales, ranging between 14–19%, depending on the prevailing nickel price. This would replace the current flat rate of 10%. A 14% rate would apply when nickel prices are below $18,000 /t, increasing progressively to 19% for LME prices above $31,000 /t. The royalty is calculated based on revenue from nickel ore sales.

Due to an increasingly challenging market, Nyrstar will indefinitely lower production at its Hobart zinc smelter in Tasmania by around 25%. The plant’s zinc capacity is 280,000 t/a. “This decision follows a thorough and extensive review and is a direct response to deteriorating market conditions and financial losses being sustained by Nyrstar Australia,” the Trafiguraowned company said. “Nyrstar’s Australian assets continue to face significant financial challenges due to several external factors including worsening conditions in raw material markets, negative treatment charges and increased costs.”

Two dam failures at the Morowali industrial park in Indonesia have killed three people. On March 16, during heavy rains, the PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt tailings storage facility at the Morowali industrial park failed, and tailings flowed into the Bahadopi River. The breach flooded facilities at the industrial park and the village of Labota. Five days later another tailings dam inside the industrial park, owned by PT Qing Mei Bang (QMB) New Energy Materials, collapsed, killing three workers. The affected tailings facilities store acidic waste from high pressure acid leaching (HPAL). It is estimated that for every ton of nickel, HPAL processing generates 150-200 tons of tailings. The affected facilities use filtered tailings, where some of the water is removed from the tailings before they are placed the dam. However, heavy rains, landslips and seismic activity appear to have affected the stability of some of the dams.

BHP has awarded a significant engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract to a joint venture between Fluor Australia Pty Ltd and Hatch Pty Ltd. The A$40 million contract is for the first phase of the proposed expansion of BHP's copper smelter and refinery facilities in South Australia, as the company moves towards a final investment decision on the smelter and refinery expansion, currently anticipated in the first half of FY27. The initial stage focuses on strategic planning and development during the project's study phases. Subsequent stages will cover detailed engineering, procurement, and construction management as the project advances.

Aurubis AG has reported operating earnings before taxes of euro130 million ($134.8 million) for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2024/25, up around 17% on the figure for the equivalent period of last year (€111 million or $115.1 million). The company’s Custom Smelting & Products (CSP) segment posted €125 million ($129.7 million) in EBT compared with €107 million ($111 million) in the previous year. CSP comprises production facilities for processing copper concentrates as well as for manufacturing and marketing standard and specialty products, such as cathodes, wire rod, continuous cast shapes, strip products, sulphuric acid and iron silicate, via smelters in Hamburg and Pirdop, Bulgaria. The company attributes the higher EBT to higher metal prices, considerably increased sulphuric acid revenues, and robust earnings from copper product sales and lower costs, which more than compensated for a year-over-year decline in treatment and refining charges with lower concentrate throughput.

Glencore says it is working with the Queensland government to secure the future of the Mount Isa copper smelter. The company had previously indicated that it would close the smelter in 2030, but recent media reports suggest that the government is looking at assistance to keep the smelter operational, which currently treats more than 1 million t/a of copper concentrate and supplies sulphuric acid to other industries locally, including phosphate production.

The Chinese government has issued a development plan for the country’s copper smelting industry covering the years 202527 which is looking to reduce the level of overcapacity in the sector. New copper smelters must now control sufficient copper mine supply via ownership or equity stakes to cover their production requirements, something few smelters do at present. Chinese smelter output has reached record levels, with treatment charges falling to historically low levels as producers compete for copper concentrate – China imports around 85% of its copper concentrate. Meanwhile more smelter capacity is planned, with around 1 million t/a of new capacity scheduled for 2025. The country aims to boost domestic copper mine resources by 5% to 10% in three years to secure raw material supply, according to the government plan. China will also encourage copper smelters to sign long-term purchase agreements with global miners, boost imports of copper blister and anode, and encourage scrap imports.