A landmark $498 million mining recycling project is underway in Africa. Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a subsidiary of Vedanta Group, has signed an EPC contract with China’s NERIN Engineering to build Africa’s largest copper tailings recovery plant in Chingola, Zambia’s Copperbelt Province.
By adopting advanced leaching technology to reprocess historical mine tailings, the new facility will add 70,000 tons of annual copper output, strongly supporting Zambia’s national goal of boosting annual copper production to 3 million metric tons by 2031. As a core strategic metal for energy transition, copper is indispensable for power grids, renewable energy infrastructure, data centers and electric vehicles, ensuring sustained strong global market demand.
Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, holds massive stockpiles of copper tailings across its mining areas. It is worth noting that traditional tailings processing only focuses on copper extraction, ignoring abundant gold, silver, platinum and palladium contained in tailings and copper anode slime. This single-metal recovery model leads to a huge waste of high-value precious metal resources and limits overall project profitability.
The launch of KCM’s large-scale tailings leaching project signals a clear industry shift: global mining industries are upgrading from single primary metal extraction to comprehensive multi-metal recycling and full resource utilization of mine solid waste. Efficient recovery of precious metals from tailings and anode slime has become a key factor in improving return on investment for modern mining projects.
To capture these growing market opportunities and support global mining enterprises in maximizing tailings and smelting by-product value, professional and reliable recycling equipment and customized process solutions are essential. With more than 20 years of dedicated R&D and manufacturing experience in the resource recycling industry, Henan Yusai Precision Machinery Co., Ltd., has grown into a trusted professional manufacturer focusing on precious metal electrolytic refining and comprehensive solid waste recycling systems.
We deliver tailored one-stop recycling solutions for diverse raw materials and different production capacities. Our comprehensive product portfolio covers precious metal extraction from copper anode slime, platinum, palladium and rhodium recovery from waste catalytic converters, as well as full-set recycling systems for e-waste, circuit boards, lithium batteries and solar panels. All our refining equipment can achieve a high precious metal purity of up to 99.99%, ensuring stable and high-value resource regeneration for mining and recycling projects.
Tailored for African mining operating conditions, our modular precious metal recovery systems feature corrosion resistance, stable continuous operation and easy on-site maintenance. Perfectly matched with copper leaching and electrolysis production lines, our equipment effectively recovers gold, silver, platinum and palladium from tailings enriched materials and anode slime, helping mining enterprises maximize residual resource value and achieve dual benefits of environmental protection and economic growth.
The African Copperbelt is ushering in a booming period of tailings resource utilization. In the new mining cycle, single copper recovery can no longer meet profit growth needs. Synergistic recovery of copper and precious metals has become the core competitive advantage of high-efficiency mining projects.
At YuSai, we offer one-stop services including raw material testing, personalized process solution design, full-set equipment manufacturing, on-site installation, commissioning and technical training. We provide professional technical consultation within 24 hours for all global clients.
Mine tailings are no longer waste — they are untapped precious metal resources.
