Canada’s First Quantum Minerals has shut its Sentinel copper processing plant after Zambia reduced electricity supply to its operations by 24 percent, the company said.
Zambian power utility Zesco Ltd is limiting supplies, including to mining companies.
“Sentinel process plant has been closed since July 27, 2015. Various options to alleviate the effect on production are being evaluated,” First Quantum said in second quarter results late on Wednesday.
“Agreement has been reached to redirect the majority of Sentinel’s power allocation to enable Kansanshi to operate close to full capacity, while delaying the ramp-up at Sentinel.”
Kansanshi mine was earlier projected to produce 250 to 265 tonnes of finished copper while the Sentinel was expected to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate in 2015.
Reuters
Shaka Zulu
July 30, 2015 at 1:26 pm
This load shedding will soon lead to job losses.
mj banda
July 30, 2015 at 1:47 pm
Contact me for solutions to the electricity problems
Bebeni Bonfwe
July 30, 2015 at 10:54 pm
Where is you number idyot?
Shi ali
July 30, 2015 at 2:34 pm
This means a lot of pipo wil lose employment,wch wil lead 2 more stretkids,more crime rate,more prostitute,more poverty,less education,high death rate etc ,awe kwena twala chula unomwaka,n’way nxt tym vote wisely!!!!!!!!
Paul Phiri
July 30, 2015 at 2:54 pm
Indeed This Loadsheding Is Geting Out Of Hand, It Has Even Entered The Mines, Awe Tulenya Mwachikala Lungu, Tizayamba Kudya Bana
J. CHiiiKALI!
July 30, 2015 at 4:06 pm
Ati ifintu fyali lungula, kusumina nelyo filemoneka ati fileya muli worse @ am Lungu, eh ku suppoter ngolalyako isho bapela isha free, mwati poor zambian awe kwena ni living in fear, chili eko tuleya…
Mundetele
July 30, 2015 at 4:20 pm
There is too much dependency on the Kariba dam which is located outside the Zambian rain belt. we need to qucikly start diversifying our sources of energy. Zambia is endowed with many water bodies, let’s build dams in Luapula and Northern where there is more rain to abait this or we will soon be worse than Nigeria on power shortage.
Power
July 30, 2015 at 5:33 pm
Good thought Mundetele. We put more generating plants along de kafue and zamBezi rivers and set up a cool power plant on the copper belt just near to mamba cola what ever.
zambiano
July 30, 2015 at 5:39 pm
The sad part is that we are still living in the mentality of buy me a drink I will vote for you. Honestly why would a normal thinking person want to continue keeping the PF government in power. Let’s wake up. This government has failed.
kakolwe
July 30, 2015 at 6:49 pm
Because they are the only ones accepting that they do not make rain. And they are the only party accepting that they need to look at alternatives. Others, just like late Chama Chakomboka, know where the solutions lie. They will only share their solutions IF you give them plot 1! Ni Ransom?
Kwati like so
July 30, 2015 at 5:52 pm
Enormous problems for clueless leaders !
Judge Joe Bidden
July 30, 2015 at 6:16 pm
Oh! Shame… now look at how many Zambians will lose employment, now we are reaping infintu ni Lungu. Its really sad for the families that will be affected. Sad I wont say much.
Judge Joe Bidden
July 30, 2015 at 6:17 pm
By the way whats Lungu saying about all these? Zii!
club zero
July 30, 2015 at 6:56 pm
@judge boi ifintu ni lungu yatiletelela.I m now UPND full time not ifintu fyabo
Judge Joe Bidden
July 30, 2015 at 8:43 pm
Boyi it’s really bad. A closing mine is a very bad signal to new investors
Beautiful Moma
July 30, 2015 at 7:12 pm
With copper selling in the $5500 per ton range, Sentinel really needed to focus on volume based sales not price based. This is a step backwards because of loadshedding. Cutting down the volume to 76000 tonnes when volumes could save people’s jobs spells doom for low level staff, they are usually the first to be made redundant.
Sichiron
July 30, 2015 at 7:14 pm
FQM is owned by cunning Australians of Zimbabwean origin. They have put Kalumbila mines on fire. Insurance company in Zambia will be used to claim a huge loss of profit claim. They are cunning as their production was going to be down due to power shortage but with the fire, it will be a different ball game. Workers will lose jobs, suppliers will lose business but FQM will make money without lifting a finger. Where is Money Laundering Unit of BOZ? An urgent appeal to government of the republic of Zambia, engage ZSIC in insurances and reinsurances of all national assets. In fact, go beyond that. Engage them in risk surveys and safety inspections.
wayne
July 30, 2015 at 11:54 pm
FQM is a publicly traded company on the TSX in Canada, it is not as you claimed owned by an Australian born Zimbo. you do people of Zambia get there information!!! eeesh, Zambia can produce all the electricity it needs from Solar but ZESCO puts up road blocks to using solar. Get rid of the PF, ZESCO and PF are to corrupt and incompetent which results is a lot of unnecessary suffering for the people of Zambia. Maybe sell the country to the whites.
Sichiron
July 31, 2015 at 7:37 am
Do your homework. Every publicly traded company has majority holders, key players and FQM was started by Pascal brothers of Zimbabwe, the ones who were smugglers of copper and cobalt of Zambia and Zaire. Kaunda is around. He had arrested. He can tell you the truth.
Wayne
July 31, 2015 at 1:57 pm
You are a moron, the largest shareholder of fqm owns only .86%. Less then 1% and its a Canadian firm that owns it. Stupid, why are Zambians so uneducated and misinformed?
Sichiron
July 31, 2015 at 8:27 pm
You are a moron and idiot. 0.86%, as you say is not a small percentage in a company with Billions of dollars capitalisation. If you do not shut up , I will disclose more on the reasons for Moise Katumbi giving marching orders to the Australian buggers who were putting copper ore on trucks (conveyor belts) to shift to Zambia via transfer pricing, sold cheap to their outfit overseas, priced again at high prices to Zambian outfit and no profit made in Zambia. Open your ugly mouth and do a service to Zambian public.
New Educated Zambia©❤√
July 30, 2015 at 9:52 pm
I am busy on the ground in kasama with limited Internet connection to all those wondering where I am. Be patient. I will give feedback on my return
Mr T
July 30, 2015 at 11:38 pm
The answer is Solar Energy. We have lots of Sun and space.
OMG
July 31, 2015 at 6:32 am
The answer to all this nonsense is NEZ
New Educated Zambia©❤√
July 31, 2015 at 1:59 pm
We are working bane
Hello Haters
July 31, 2015 at 6:59 am
What has happened to their 2011 campaign rhetoric, seems everything is going the opposite direction for them, less money in people’s pockets, more people at risk of losing their jobs, increasing taxes, increase in fuel pump prices etc, it ain’t easy to manage the economy of a country bane, when in your life time you have never managed a simple kantemba, not even your own family, can’t even remember how many pikininiz you have produced around the country with different women @ i can manage the affairs of a country, bane be serious.
kakolwe
July 31, 2015 at 11:00 am
Hello @Hello Heaters! This disappearing act & reappearance when Beautiful Moma does raises the antenna!! Well, good to see you Hating.
Well their 2011 campaign rhetoric is on course. Well all things being equal and other variables remaining constant (which is an impossibility in reality)! they are on course. We have a year and two months in hand. Mwishinda tamulapwisha ukunya baiche.
Beautiful Moma
July 31, 2015 at 11:56 am
Mulentamfya kabili? I thought you knew that am just 2500 km away from JJB. Why didn’t you visit me? @kakolwe, am on to you.
kasantana
July 31, 2015 at 8:12 am
Ifintu ni Lungu.Inonge Wina is in Luapula for campaigns,who gave Zambia to PF imwe kanshi?
J. CHiiiKALI!
July 31, 2015 at 8:26 am
Ati ifintu ni Lungu, awe kwena Twasambilila pali importance ya Vote, so Mr Scott and Mr Sata were the ones that held the all entire Pfools Boat, after that we have seen wat has transpired, the Boat will now fail to Move on the Waters, Neyi Law water levels twaumfwa wat mo mu October. ala bwafya nga FRA balifye bwino, uuno mwaka Kukosa noukukosa…Fyaaalipena. abachili balelumba nibalia aba voter ati Lungu is Tall n slim so as me i wil vote for Him! otherwise judging on Perfomance he might be gud Lawyer but bu president kuwayawayafye..
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 8:47 am
When I was asking PF voters/cadres during the elections what is it that you have seen in Lungu common answers were: 1. He is HUMBLE, 2. LISTENS, 3. TALL, 4. WEARS SMART, 5. SATA TRUSTED HIM, 6. HE HUNDLES 2 MINISTRIES SAME TIME etc, All of the above does not necessarily make a good president. My assessment Lungu capitalised on Sata’s legacy to win trust from PF but himself is very uncapable to run a country, very uncapable. Right now what is he saying about ALL these problems we are facing? Nothing.
kakolwe
July 31, 2015 at 11:33 am
@JJB, with all bloggers putting up a variety of arguements, yours is the only one that disturbs me. To expect Lungu to say anything or everything about the offshhots of the problems, it a tall order. Here, the problem is loadshedding, Kwacha Rate & Exports.
On electricity, I shocked that in the entire Southern Africa, the population blames the party in power while in North Africa they blame the technocrats. Eskom (at stage 1 load shedding as Zm) are making a R11million loss, monthly. Only Only City Power in Cape town is not load shedding. BPC (Zesco yaku BBotswana, if you like) is at stage 2. Their Nationals are blaming Zuma & ANC, Kham, Lungu & PF.
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 4:04 pm
@kakolwe a good and responsible leader need to address his people in times like this to reduce their fears and create confidence in him. Do you see this trait in him? Nope! Wait until he is at a foreign airport – very excited! Edgar just hit a jackpot to get a free house and hefty retirement package – FOR FREE! Basically he screwed his voters! Mwabwelapofye!
kakolwe
July 31, 2015 at 4:24 pm
Judge, my concern is, in the first world this problem is non-existent coz of nuclear energy. In North Africa and south Asia (with 16hrs of load shedding a week), people blame technocrats and seek solutions. As for Southern Africa, presently at 26hrs of shedding a week, the people are blaming Zuma, Khama, Lungu and their parties.
In short, down here, we may change leadership but the problems will persist coz We expect them to wipe our arises too! I know with 92% accuracy that JJB ain’t that. You can prove me wrong, bro!!
major chileshe
July 31, 2015 at 10:59 am
Ndeloleshafye
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 12:29 pm
kikiki ya better say nothing mwana, you know things are going bad.
major chileshe
July 31, 2015 at 11:01 am
Ndeloleshafye,
mj banda
July 31, 2015 at 11:22 am
This FQM mine is just a useless one, they make so much money but can fail to but themselves a generator to keep them power on? This is just a lame excuse to run away.
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 12:36 pm
@mjbanda my friend you normally confuse me my mbuya, you claim knowledgeable but sometimes your comments awe mwandi, do you know how many megawatts power is needed to run a mine? If you knew you wouldnt prescribe a generator to be used to run a mining operation but your thinking is typical even in most PF Govt officials, just blank!
kakolwe
July 31, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Mbuya apusa!!! Aposa dataless argument!! Mweleleniko,acilatamba Airbus pa airport.
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 5:05 pm
kikiki yaba! Oh he was busy shuttling with passenger bags!
mj banda
July 31, 2015 at 5:48 pm
My new mbuya Kakolwe, do you know that I can even employ you together with jjb? Remember I did avionics / electronics
kakolwe
July 31, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Yes I know! Though I believe that dropping our qualifications, jobs, houses at tumfweko ain’t my cup of coffee! So in your company, let me be in charge of those 30Megawatts generators for the mines.
charity tengeleko
July 31, 2015 at 12:04 pm
i fintu ni worse pipo
charity tengeleko
July 31, 2015 at 12:06 pm
ee imwe ba mj banda nomba?
AYAMIKA JUMA
July 31, 2015 at 1:27 pm
When GOD declare a thing, he just says be and it is.lets leave everything in God hand he is in control
J. CHiiiKALI!
July 31, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Ok iyo, wat were u thinking, Generator – Mining: iyo yena Boss nama shiwi nshikwete mwati muliba kalamba…nangula elo mulekula?
major chileshe
July 31, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Hahahahahahahahahaha yaba
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Kikiki seriously naine nindabwa a generator cant even sustain a single crasher what about running entire mine na generator! kikiki ba PF ninshimbi!
Foloko
July 31, 2015 at 2:37 pm
I want to join UPND where are their offices in Chilanga?
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Firstly visit their website there some info there you can use for your local representatives. But NEZ can shed more light on that.
kakolwe
July 31, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Kupundafye ati “forward!”and start calling every PF supporter ati fool, illiterate, poor, kaponya!
Who knows? Tomorrow they’ll make you their official “tumfweko ward publicity secretary to assist NEZ.
Judge Joe Bidden
July 31, 2015 at 5:09 pm
Ha ha ha ha ha awe iwe uli chiwelewelefye! Ba Tumfweko Ward Chairman aba kaaamba ba NEZ!
mj banda
July 31, 2015 at 5:55 pm
SA a big country uses diesel generators, why can’t Zambia a 5th world do it, if no rain, then ni same na vubwi te
mj banda
July 31, 2015 at 5:57 pm
Ba jjb start thinking pls with my new mbuya Kakolwe.
mj banda
July 31, 2015 at 8:36 pm
@kakolwe, is it now becoming personal or what? No wonder I prefer my well known mbuya jjb who doesn’t take it personally these issues at tumfweko.