This was stated by Mr. Alexey Yaschuk, Udokan Copper’s CEO, in his interview to “Globus” magazine. According to Mr. Yaschuk, so far, the Company has developed a Stage II Project FS and a process specification for design & engineering of Udokan Stage II Facilities for 24-28 MTPA of ore.
According to Mr. Yaschuk, so far, the Company has developed a Stage II Project FS and a process specification for design & engineering of Udokan Stage II Facilities for 24-28 MTPA of ore.As previously reported by the Company, Stage I and Stage II of the Plant together shall provide for processing of about 40M tons of ore and producing of about 400K tons of the “red” metal. Expert estimates have it that Udokan’s production capacity shall allow the Company to hit Top-10 of the global copper producers.
As Mr. Yaschuk noted in his interview, the first start-up package will be launched before this year-end. “Today, Udokan Plant is one step away from completion of its construction stage, and we are zeroed in on commissioning works – he said. – This year, just as it was planned, the Company will put the Conc Plant into operation, and early next year – the Hydro Plant.” As yearly as in 2024 the Plant is going to reach its full capacity, which will allow for future processing of 15M tons of ore per year and annual production of 150,000 tons of copper in form of sulphide concentrate and refined metal.
Mr. Alexey Yaschuk also reported that the Company worked hard to find a supplier of the major processing equipment for Stage II Plant and received a number of trial proposals. “We are currently in progress with the advisory sessions with design and science institutes, independent consulting companies” – he noted.
Even now the ore is being mined in the open-pit in the course of capital operations, and production is underway at the Pilot Plant built back in yearly 2000's, specifically to develop and adjust the future plant's process design. According to Udokan Copper’s CEO, the product is being supplied to Russian clients.
The Company is looking at its potential clients both in the domestic and the foreign markets. However, the focal area remains to be Asia Pacific countries, China in particular.
Udokan Project, being situated just outside the Chinese border, will help satisfy the growing demand for copper globally, and most notably in China – the world's biggest consumer of the “red” metal. Copper is used in car batteries, solar panels, and windmill generators, which makes it a critically needed metal for the “green” energy transition.
