Zambia's Konkola says smelter to remain shut for one month

KCM’s new Nchanga smelter under construction.

Doreen Nawa reports........

Zambia's Konkola copper mines, owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources, said on Tuesday that its Nchanga smelter will remain shut for one month.

Konkola last week closed the smelter as a result of a metal leak through the wall of a furnace.

Mined metal productiion was unaffected by the smelter shutdown, Konkola said.

In a press statement Ashwin Bajaj Senior Vice President - Investor Relations, Vedanta Resources plc said following the metal leak at the Flash Smelting Furnace of the Nchanga Smelter on Friday 19^th April 2013, KCM is advancing its 15-day maintenance shutdown of the Nchanga smelter scheduled for September 2013 to coincide with the current shutdown, while copper cooling elements of the furnace are being replaced.

Bajaj said mined metal production remains unaffected by the smelter shutdown. Smelter production is expected to resume within four weeks, and H1 smelter production as per company plan is expected to be unaffected.

Vedanta Resources plc ("Vedanta") is a London listed FTSE-100 diversified global resources major. The group produces Aluminium, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Iron ore, Power, and Oil and Gas. Vedanta has world-class assets in India, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, Ireland Liberia, Australia and Sri Lanka and a strong organic growth pipeline of projects.

With an empowered talent pool globally, Vedanta places strong emphasis on partnering with all its stakeholders based on the core values of entrepreneurship, excellence, trust, inclusiveness and growth.