By John Chola

The air crackles with anticipation at Kansanshi Mine’s S3 plant tonight.

As final preparations reach a crescendo, all eyes turn to Solwezi, where President Hakainde Hichilema is poised to officially commission the monumental US $1.2 billion S3 expansion project tomorrow.

A Solwezi Today visit to the heart of one of Africa’s premier copper and gold mining operations revealed a hive of controlled activity.

Scores of personnel meticulously attended to last-minute details, ensuring the stage is perfectly set for the Presidential switch-on of this transformative facility.

Standing amidst the gleaming steel and sophisticated technology, S3 Project Manager Andrew Nugent confirmed unequivocally: “All is set. The sophisticated plant is ready to fire for production.”
His words echoed the palpable sense of readiness permeating the vast complex.

FQM Country Manager, Dr. Godwin Beene, mirrored this confidence, expressing profound satisfaction that the plant is primed to begin operations.

“We are at the threshold of a significant milestone,” Dr. Beene remarked, underscoring the culmination of years of planning and construction.

This commissioning marks the activation of a project aptly described as a “game-changer”:

Unprecedented Scale: At its core lies a single-line concentrator capable of processing a staggering 25 million tonnes of ore annually.

This nearly doubles Kansanshi’s total processing capacity, catapulting it from 28 million to an astounding 53 million tonnes per year.

Securing the Future:The S3 project is far more than increased output; it extends the life of the Kansanshi Mine by an estimated 20 years, securing operations and associated benefits until at least 2045.

Powering Progress: Driving this industrial leviathan requires a massive 50 megawatts of power.

Crucially, Dr. Beene has previously assured the nation that this demand is met responsibly: “We’ve secured power without taking a single watt from households… we buy what we need and protect domestic supply.”

Economic Engine: Beyond the peak construction workforce of 2,500 – heavily drawing from Solwezi and the Northwestern Province – the operational S3 plant will now sustain 900 permanent, full-time jobs across mining, processing, smelting, and vital support services.

Technological Prowess: The S3 plant isn’t just big; it’s smart. Featuring over 7,000 instruments across 2,500 network points, it incorporates cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence for predictive modelling, a pioneering application within the global copper industry.

It also boasts engineering marvels like one of the world’s largest primary crushers.

Approved in May 2022 with construction commencing mid-2023, the S3 project arrives on schedule and within budget, a testament to meticulous planning and execution.
As the final checks are completed tonight under the Solwezi sky, the message from Kansanshi is resounding: The plant is ready. The future is now.

Tomorrow, with the symbolic flick of a switch by the Republican President, Zambia’s mining landscape will be irrevocably altered, heralding a new era of production, technological advancement, and sustained economic contribution from the Northwestern