Canada’s First Quantum Minerals To Lay Off 1,480 Workers In Zambia

Canada’s First Quantum Minerals will lay off about 1,480 workers at one of its Zambian copper projects after a reduction in its power supply curbed production, the company’s local subsidiary said on Sunday.

“Regrettably a reduction of approximately 1,480 construction jobs will be brought forward at the Trident Project within the first weeks of August,” Kalumbila Minerals Limited (KML) said in a statement.

Zambian power utility Zesco Ltd is limiting supplies after water levels at its hydro-electric plants dropped due to drought.

First Quantum Minerals last week shut its Sentinel copper processing plant after electricity supplies to its operations were reduced by 24 per cent.

KML, majority owned by First Quantum, is developing the Trident Project which comprises the Sentinel copper mine and Enterprise nickel mine plus associated infrastructure at Kalumbila in north-western Zambia.