- Expansion to start in 2026
- Current operations to last over 22 years
- More exploration work undertaken
Khoemacau Copper Mine’s current operations at Zone 5 can be sustainable for over 22 years if the company achieves its financial target, the CEO of Khoemacau, Johan Ferreira, has disclosed.
Addressing a press briefing in Gaborone recently, Ferreira stated: “That operation is the long life operation that can be there for the longest time. We have already done the pre-feasibility study of the next expansion.”
The expansion, which is scheduled for 2026, will double the mine’s copper output from the current 60-65 kiloton per annum (ktpa) to more than 130 ktpa of copper and more than 5 million tons of silver. “This is basically doubling what we are doing, which is significant,” Ferreira said. “In addition, there is still exploration work that we are doing where we have already identified a couple of targets and invested money in building those areas.”
More importantly, Ferreira said the company is contributing significantly to Botswana’s economy by way of diversifying the country’s mining sector. He noted that the company strategy is premised on unlocking the full potential of the Khoemacau property. “By doing that,” he said, “we want to responsibly deliver Safe Reliable Mechanised Operations that offer our investors equitable returns and create value for all stakeholders as a modern copper/silver mining company.”
The strategy’s priorities include ramping up operations to full potential on budget and to the right quality. Khoemacau achieved a ramp-up of mining and processing operations of 3.65Mtpa (300kt per month) in December 2022 at its Khoemacau Mine in the Kalahari Copper Belt. This followed completion of construction and commissioning activities on 16 February 2022 and production of the first copper/silver concentrate on 30 June 2021.
“We also want to strengthen our contribution by continuing to improve the operational and financial performance,” Ferreira said. He added that they have identified five elements within the Khoemacau strategy. These are safety and health, operational and financial excellence, value and growth, people, and Sustainability (ESG).
