Zambia’s Luanshya Copper Mine Set to Restart in August After Two-Decade Shutdown

‘Shaft 28 at Luanshya copper mine. Credit: Ministry of Information and Media | Facebook

Zambia’s Luanshya copper mine is scheduled to resume operations in August 2026, marking its return after more than 20 years of inactivity, according to the country’s Ministry of Mines.

The mine is majority owned by China Nonferrous Mining Corporation (CNMC), which holds an 80% stake, while Zambia’s state mining investment arm, ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH), owns the remaining 20%.

Operations at Luanshya had been halted due to severe flooding that damaged underground infrastructure, necessitating an extensive dewatering process before redevelopment could begin. As of 27 March 2026, approximately 87.9 million cubic metres of water had been pumped out, clearing the way for construction and rehabilitation work.

Production is expected to restart at the upper section of the mine in August 2026. Meanwhile, output from the lower section is projected to begin in 2029, following the ongoing redevelopment of Shaft 28 by China Luanshya Mine (CLM).

The redevelopment of Shaft 28 represents a significant investment of approximately $710 million, covering the installation of new shaft systems, a concentrator plant, and supporting infrastructure. To date, more than $75 million has already been committed to the project.

In addition, CLM is exploring potential collaboration with ZCCM-IH to develop mining opportunities in newly acquired areas within the region.

Once fully operational, the Luanshya mine is expected to produce around 100,000 metric tonnes of copper annually by 2030. This will contribute to Zambia’s broader ambition to increase national copper production to 3 million tonnes per year by 2031, strengthening its position as Africa’s second-largest copper producer.