Ten new copper smelters planned

Plans for at least 10 new copper smelters worldwide are under consideration, reports the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

But although big copper producers like Chile are expected to proceed with construction, Canada was listed among the countries least likely to bring a greenfield smelter on stream.

“Not all (the proposed smelters) will come to fruition; some may lack financing or may be considered uneconomic, while others, such as those in the U. S. and Canada, are meeting with stiff environmental requirements that promise to delay and probably stop construction.”

Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Indonesia, the U.S., and Zaire have all announced plans for new smelters which would add a total of about 1.5 million tons of new copper capacity by 1996.

ENAMI, Chile’s state-owned smelting company, is considering building a 600,000-ton-per-year smelter in co-operation with its partners. The company has also hired Fluor Daniel to conduct a feasibility study for expansion at its Paipote and Ventanas smelters. Motivated by the need for environmental improvements, ENAMI is considering introducing flash-smelting technology at an estimated cost of $300 million.