Canada-headquartered Barrick Gold officially launched the development of a Super Pit at its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia on Wednesday, with President Hakainde Hichilema and members of his Cabinet in attendance.

The feasibility study for the Super Pit Expansion is expected by the end of the year, paving the way for construction to begin in 2025.

The $2-billion project aims to transform Lumwana into a long-life, high-yielding, Tier 1 copper mine, positioning it among the top 25 copper producers globally.

The expansion will first focus on doubling the throughput of the existing process circuit and then significantly increasing mining volumes. The processing plant’s throughput is expected to grow from 27-million tonnes to 52-million tonnes, doubling Lumwana’s copper output from 120 000 t/y to a life-of-mine average of 240 000 t/y.

The process plant expansion will be supported by incremental increases in mining volumes, from 150-million tonnes in 2025 to about 240-million tonnes by 2028, and then reaching an average of 290-million tonnes a year by 2030.

Lumwana is central to Barrick’s goal of increasing its copper production by 30%, targeting 400 000 t/y within the next six years. Another key project contributing to this growth is Reko Diq in Pakistan, which is expected to produce about 100 000 t/y of copper and 120 000 oz/y of gold during its initial phase.

In a statement issued after the groundbreaking ceremony, Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow said that the Super Pit Expansion would leave a sustainable legacy by developing local capacity and supporting the region’s communities and businesses throughout construction and operation. The project would require 550 additional workers over the next five years, as well as 2 500 construction workers during the peak three-year period leading up to 2028.

“We are also planning to build critical infrastructure, including an airstrip and an industrial supplier park. This will enable key suppliers to establish themselves in the area, creating an economic hub that will further fuel growth and development in the wider region,” said Bristow.

Hichilema highlighted the importance of mining in Zambia’s economic structure, noting that Barrick’s partnership with the government was creating a shared vision to develop a new economic frontier in the country’s North-Western province and beyond.