[miningmx.com] – ZESCO, Zambia’s state-owned power company, is to build a $249.3m power line that will supply 330Kv of energy to new mines in the region, including First Quantum Minerals’ Kalumbila operation.
Reuters reported that Zesco had applied for environmental approval to build the power line. Under Zambian law the environmental management agency has to approve all significant infrastructure projects, Reuters said.
Another beneficiary of the power line, which would take about 30 months to build, was
Barrick Gold’s Lumwana mine, the agency said.
Barrick acquired Lumwana, which was set to produce between 230 million and 260 million pounds of copper in 2012, through its $7.7bn takeover of Equinox Minerals in 2011, said Reuters.
Canada’s First Quantum will invest $1bn in the new mine at Kalumbila, which is expected to produce 300,000 tonnes of copper annually at peak production, the news agency said.
