Copper Reserves

India to send industry delegation for copper mining opportunities in Zambia.

• The Mines Ministry has proposed sending an Indian industry delegation to copper-rich Zambia to discuss potential copper exploration and mining projects in the southern African country.

China Nonferrous Mining Corporation (CNMC) is among the largest producers of copper in Zambia.

Copper

• Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is ductile.
• Alloys – Alloyed with iron and nickel to make stainless steel.
  • Alloyed with nickel to make ‘morel metal’.
  • Alloyed with aluminium to make ‘duralumin’.
  • Alloyed with zinc it is known as ‘brass’ and with tin as ‘bronze’.
• Copper is widely used in sectors like construction, consumer durables, transportation, and industrial manufacturing.
• It is also used in clean energy technologies including solar panels, EVs, and energy efficient motors.
• Reserves in India – 46 million tones; Rajasthan (50%); Madhya Pradesh (24%); Jharkhand (19%); 7% in AP, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka etc.

As per International Copper Association India, domestic copper demand grew by 16% in FY2022-2023, while demand for copper in clean energy technologies grew by 32%.

• Reserves across globe – Chile has the world’s largest copper reserves of any country by far, with 190 million metric tons as of 2022.
• It is also the world’s largest copper producer, having produced some 5.2 million metric tons of copper from mines in 2022.

Zambia

• It got its name from the Zambezi River.
• The country is located in southern Africa.
• Zambia is a landlocked country of rugged terrain and diverse wildlife, with many parks and safari areas.
• On its border with Zimbabwe is the famed Victoria Falls, plunging into the narrow Batoka Gorge.

Zambia has about 6 per cent of the world’s copper reserves and was the eighth-largest producer of copper in 2022.