Hindustan Copper Steps Up Mine Expansion, Looks to Chile for New Opportunities

Key Highlights

• Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) is exploring four copper blocks in Chile in partnership with State owned Codelco.
• HCL plans to raise its copper ore production capacity to 12.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2030-31.
• Malanjkhand capacity is planned to rise from 2.5 MTPA to 5 MTPA, while Khetri Copper Complex is targeted to reach 3 MTPA from 1.5 MTPA.
• The company plans to increase the mine capacity of its Indian Copper Complex (ICC) at Ghatshila tenfold to 4.2 MTPA.
• HCL has spent around Rs. 1,400 crore over the past decade to sustain copper mining operations at ICC.
• Surda Phase-2 is set to restart after the dispute with Shriram EPC was resolved, while production at Rakha Copper Mine is expected to begin soon.

Ghatshila: Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) is looking beyond India for new copper resources while expanding its domestic mining operations, with a target to raise total ore production capacity to 12.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2030-31. The company is studying four copper blocks in Chile in partnership with State owned Codelco, while expansion projects at Malanjkhand, Khetri and the Indian Copper Complex (ICC) are being taken up to meet rising domestic demand.

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HCL CMD Anupam Mishra said the company is examining the technical and economic viability of four copper blocks in Chile in association with Codelco. The move is aimed at giving HCL access to global copper resources while continuing to expand production from its Indian mines. Mishra said greater use of domestic resources would be important as copper demand rises, with the company also examining mining opportunities in other countries.

Malanjkhand, Khetri and ICC Expansion

At the Malanjkhand Copper Project (MCP), ore production capacity is planned to increase from 2.5 MTPA to 5 MTPA. At Rajasthan’s Khetri Copper Complex (KCC), the proposed expansion will raise capacity from 1.5 MTPA to 3 MTPA. The biggest planned increase is at ICC, where mine capacity is proposed to rise nearly tenfold to 4.2 MTPA. HCL has spent about Rs. 1,400 crore over the past decade to keep ICC’s mining operations running. The unit currently produces around 1,200 tonnes of ore from the Surda and Kendadih mines and employs about 2,500 people. Mishra said improved production and operations could help the unit turn profitable in the current financial year.

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Surda and Kendadih mines are currently operational, while production at Rakha Copper Mine is expected to begin soon. The long-running dispute with Shriram EPC over Surda Phase-2 has been resolved and work to restart the project is being prepared. HCL also plans to expand ore processing capacity alongside mining. Capacity enhancement work has started at the Musabani concentrator plant, while a new 3 MTPA concentrator plant is proposed at Roam and another concentrator is being planned at Maubhandar. The company is also pursuing clearances from the Jharkhand Government to restart closed mines such as Dhobni and Pathargora.

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