Zijin Mining has received local government approval for the second phase expansion of its Julong copper mine in Tibet, reported Reuters.
The expansion will raise the total capacity of the mine to around 350,000 metric tons of copper per day, and will require an investment of around 17.5 billion yuan (US$2.43 billion).
“After the Julong Phase 2 Project is completed and reaches the designated production capacity, the annual ore mining and processing volume of the [mine] is expected to exceed 100 million tonnes, making it the largest in China in terms of mining and processing scale and the largest standalone copper mine to be put into operation in the world since the 21st century,” Zijin said in a statement.
The miner also noted that construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Julong is operated by Tibet Julong Copper Co., a subsidiary in which Zijin Mining holds a 50.1% stake.
Sources: Reuters and Zijin Mining