A copper smelter in Utah, US. The smelter at Zambia’s Mopani Copper Mines, built in 2006 cost $850 million. Photo/FILE
Tanzania has ruled out the construction of a copper smelter the Bulyankulu Gold Mine citing high costs.
According to the findings of the Tanzania Gold Audit Programme, the smelter — to smelt and refine copper concentrate produced from the Bulyankulu Gold Mine — would cost a whopping $500 million-$800 million to construct; would need between 60 per cent 90 per cent of copper concentrate imports (not less than 150,000 tonnes) to feed the smelter and the country would have to develop new mines to sustain its operations.
