Zambian Copper Concentrate Processing – Smelter Investment

Requirement

A greenfield copper smelter project in Zambia's Copperbelt seeks $35 million in project financing to capture value currently lost through concentrate exports. The facility will process 100,000 tonnes of concentrate annually, producing refined copper cathode for international markets. The project site is in Kitwe, adjacent to existing mining operations with established concentrate supply agreements. Infrastructure includes power connection to ZESCO grid, water supply, and road/rail links to regional ports. Environmental permits and investment incentives are secured through Zambia Development Agency. We seek project finance providers, mining company strategic investors, and commodity traders seeking vertical integration. Investment structure combines 40% equity and 60% debt with projected returns of 18-22% equity IRR based on conservative copper price assumptions. Zambia produces 800,000+ tonnes of copper annually but exports predominantly as concentrate, losing billions in potential value addition. Government policy actively supports domestic processing through export duties on raw concentrates and incentives for processing investments. Construction timeline is 30 months with operation ramping to full capacity within 12 months of commissioning. Offtake discussions with international copper traders are advanced, de-risking market access.