HCL Aims To Double Malanjkhand Copper Project Output To 5 MT By 2030

Balaghat : Public sector miner Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) is pushing to expand its Malanjkhand Copper Project in Madhya Pradesh at a fast pace, with plans to double capacity by 2030, newly appointed CMD Anupam Mishra  said on Saturday.

On his first visit to the project since taking charge earlier this month, Mishra told  that the Miniratna Category-I PSU is targeting to raise MCP’s annual ore production from 2.5 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes by 2030.

Expansion roadmap

“Our priority is to complete the capex plan and reach an overall production capacity of 12.2 million tonnes by 2030,” Mishra said. 

“Engineering teams and corporate officials will track each project and key timelines closely to clear any hurdles in time.”

He added that work on the expansion is progressing well. Key components include new production and service shafts, winders, a concentrator plant, and a paste-fill plant.

MCP currently accounts for nearly 70% of HCL’s total output with its 2.5 MT annual capacity. HCL’s present mine ore production stands at about 4 million tonnes per year.

Focus on self-reliance in copper

Citing rising global copper demand, Mishra said HCL is working in mission mode on industrial growth and technology upgrades to prevent mineral shortages from impacting India’s development goals.

The company is also accelerating capacity expansion at its other units — the Khetri Copper Complex in Rajasthan and the Indian Copper Complex at Ghatsila in Jharkhand — to meet the 12.2 MT target.

During the 3-day visit, Mishra inspected the underground mine, concentrator plant, paste-fill plant, tailings dam, and ongoing expansion work at Malanjkhand.

Mishra took over as CMD on July 1, succeeding Sanjiv Kumar Singh who retired on June 30. Before HCL, he was Director (Marketing) at Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd.