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First Quantum Minerals’ (TSX: FM) $1.2 billion Kansanshi expansion in Zambia is on track to process 8% more ore than its design capacity in 2026, strengthening the Canadian miner’s production outlook as it prepares to reopen its Cobre Panama mine, suspended since 2023.
The operation is expected to process about 27 million tonnes of ore this year, exceeding the new plant’s annual design capacity of 25 million tonnes, the company said Wednesday. Strong equipment availability, utilisation and milling performance have helped the facility surpass its throughput target.
The higher processing rates allow Kansanshi to handle substantial quantities of lower-grade sulphide ore, helping offset declining grades as the mine expands production. The additional capacity is central to First Quantum’s efforts to rebuild copper output following Cobre Panama’s shutdown.
Zambia has since become the company’s main copper-producing jurisdiction, accounting for about 93% of group output in 2025. The country’s growing importance comes as copper demand rises with investment in renewable energy, power grids and electrification.
Expansion gains
Commissioned in August 2025, the S3 expansion includes a new sulphide processing line, additional smelting capacity and a new open pit. The project nearly doubles Kansanshi’s ore-milling capacity and increases smelter throughput by about 25%.
The expansion is expected to lift annual copper production to an average of 250,000 tonnes through 2044, compared with 181,183 tonnes in 2025, an increase of about 38%.
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Kansanshi, once Africa’s largest copper mine, produced 6% more copper last year than in 2024, helped by the commissioning of S3. The new circuit contributed about 25,000 tonnes of copper in 2025 and achieved commercial production in December.
First Quantum has forecast Kansanshi copper production of 175,000 to 205,000 tonnes in 2026, rising to between 230,000 and 260,000 tonnes by 2028 as the expanded facilities ramp up.
Zambia’s ambitions
The project is also a cornerstone of Zambia’s push to expand its copper industry. Africa’s second-largest copper producer aims to increase annual national output to 3 million tonnes by 2031, from 890,346 tonnes in 2025.
Achieving that target will require sustained investment in mine expansions, new deposits and supporting infrastructure, particularly electricity supply, as producers seek to capitalize on growing global demand for the metal.
(With files from Reuters)