Gold and copper producer Barrick Mining Corporation’s Lumwana mine’s transformation in Zambia into a tier one copper mine is being accelerated, with the construction of the $2 billion Super Pit Expansion project. The expansion builds on a turnaround that has seen the operation evolve from a struggling asset into a key pillar of both the company’s global copper portfolio and Zambia’s long-term development agenda.

This will double copper production to 240,000 t a year, supported by a 50 million t/a processing plant. Site construction is underway, long-lead equipment orders have been placed, and infrastructure upgrades — including a new power transmission framework developed in partnership with Zambia’s national power utility ZESCO — are progressing to support both the mine and the wider region.

Since 2019, the mine has contributed over $4 billion to the Zambian economy through taxes, royalties, procurement and wages. More than $3.4 billion has been spent with Zambian suppliers, representing 79% of the company’s total procurement. In Q1 of this year alone, $177 million or 81% of procurement was placed with local contractors. Today, 98% of Lumwana’s workforce are Zambian nationals, with nearly half drawn from nearby communities.

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As part of an integrated development plan aligned with Zambia’s Mining and Minerals 2031 policy, the Lumwana expansion will drive the development of the Manyama township and industrial supplier park. A new regional airstrip is expected to be completed by the end of the year and a TEVETA-accredited training centre will be launched to expand Zambia’s mining skills base.

“When we reviewed the Lumwana mine in 2019, it was high-cost and underperforming. Today, it’s a growing force in African copper. With this expansion gaining momentum, Lumwana is on course to join the world’s list of large and strategically important copper mines, and a powerful driver of growth for both Zambia and Barrick,” says Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow.