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TSX-listed copper, nickel and gold producer First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has outlined key steps for Zambia to achieve its ambitious target of 3Mt of copper production per year by 2032. To reach this milestone, about 815Mt of ore will need to be mined, considering the decline in ore grades from over 2% a decade ago to around 0.5% today. Achieving this scale of output could transform Zambia’s mining value chain from the current $3-billion to more than $30-billion annually.
FQM Country Director Anthony Mukutuma said the vision must be backed by a strong, sustainable strategy. Speaking at the Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka, he called for a “new era of mining” built on sustainability, community engagement, and future-ready skills that convert the copper boom into lasting prosperity. He highlighted the enormous infrastructure requirements to sustain 3Mt of copper output including moving 2.4-billion tonnes of waste and storing 790-million tonnes of tailings. The resulting structures would be vast, stretching up to 40 km in circumference and reaching heights of up to 70m. Mukutuma noted that such developments require significant capital investment, made more challenging by the higher borrowing costs faced by Western-aligned companies compared with their Eastern counterparts.
Despite the challenges, he emphasised the opportunities for local businesses, estimating that waste movement alone could represent a $16-billion opportunity for Zambian contractors. He welcomed the recent signing of the Statutory Instrument for Local Content, which promotes greater participation of Zambian firms across the mining value chain. Mukutuma underscored the importance of mining practices centred on people and communities. “You cannot mine anywhere in the world without trusting, respectful, and transparent relationships with communities, equitable sharing of resources such as land and water, and ensuring that mineral extraction leads to tangible socioeconomic development,” he said.
Looking to the future, he identified three priorities for Zambia’s mining growth: increased exploration, technology and innovation, and community-driven security of tenure. Even unsuccessful exploration, he noted, adds to national geological knowledge when properly documented and shared.
FQM continues to leverage technology and automation to improve safety and efficiency. The company has deployed autonomous drills and plans to introduce autonomous trucks, complemented by remote sensing for tailings management. However, Mukutuma stressed that digitalisation must be paired with investment in skills development.
Through its Kwambula trade school in Solwezi, FQM has trained over 540 young people in technical fields such as programming and automation, with all-women intakes leading to 30 female graduates now working in the mines.
On sustainability, Mukutuma highlighted Zambia’s Environmental Protection Fund, which ensures mines take financial responsibility for rehabilitation. Independent auditors regularly assess environmental liabilities, adjusting them downward as rehabilitation progresses — an approach that incentivises consistent environmental stewardship.
FQM has carried out continuous rehabilitation at its Kansanshi and Trident operations and their tailings facilities.
In 2024, the company produced 431,000 t of copper, 139,000 oz of gold, and 24,000 t of nickel from its operations in Zambia, Mauritania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. FQM aims to increase its Zambian copper output to between 450,000 t and 500,000 t in the coming year.
