Tanzania has officially launched the country’s first modern copper processing plant, marking a milestone in placing Tanzania on the global copper production map, the Ministry of Minerals said in a statement Thursday.

The plant, inaugurated Wednesday by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in Chunya district in the Mbeya region, is operated by Mineral Access Systems Tanzania Ltd (MAST), the statement said.

Describing the facility as a symbol of national aspiration and economic transformation, Majaliwa said that the construction of the plant reflects the government’s commitment to promoting local value addition, utilising advanced technology, and adopting environmentally responsible mining practices.

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“It also highlights the steadily improving investment and business climate in Tanzania,” he said. “This is a major step toward transforming Tanzania from a raw mineral exporter into an industrial nation capable of manufacturing high-value products from its mineral wealth.”

MAST Director Godfrey Kente said the facility aims to process low-grade copper ore containing between 0.5 and two percent copper extracted from the Mbugani area in Chunya and that it will upgrade the ore to copper concentrate with up to 75 percent purity, using leaching and cementation technology.

He said the plant can process 31,200 tonnes of copper ore per month, 27,200 tonnes of which are sourced from MAST’s own mine and 4,000 tonnes purchased from small-scale miners nationwide.

MAST plans to expand its operations by constructing three additional copper processing plants in the Manyara, Ruvuma, and Dodoma regions, where copper reserves have also been identified, Kente said.