Consolidated Copper Corp. CEO John Sisay said the Tschudi mine could rival the great copper mines of the Central African Copper Belt.
The Tschudi copper mine, under license 125, is 20 km west of the township of Tsumeb within the Otavi Mountain Land.
Weatherly’s subsidiary, Ongopolo, operated Tschudi after receiving environmental approval in 2013.
The mine produced its first copper cathode in early 2015 at a nameplate production rate of 1400 t per month (17,000 tpa).
Tschudi encountered structural problems with flooding and metallurgical issues, resulting in a production downgrade.
The mine’s former parent company went into administration in 2018, and its administrators appointed Sisay to manage it.
In 2020, all operations at Tschudi were placed on care and maintenance to develop a new long-life mine plan.
The Bonohgroup offered to purchase the shares in Weatherly International plc., China Africa Resources Namibia, and China Africa Resources Namibia Holding.
China Africa Resources Namibia, which held Berg Aukas and Weatherly (St Lucia) through Ongopolo Mining Ltd., had the Tschudi mine, central operations, and the Tsumeb township and concentrator.
The exchange of contracts took place on July 28, 2020, and on September 2, 2020, the share sale was completed, and the shares in the company’s subsidiaries were sold to Bonohgroup Limited.
Sisay and other executives founded Consolidated Copper Corp. in 2022 to restart Tschudi, Otjihase, and Matchless.
Consolidated Copper Corp. also acquired the Berg Aukas lead and zinc mine.
The Namibian Competition Commission approved the acquisition of shares by Seychelles domiciled Consolidated Copper Corp. from Bonohgroup Limited without conditions in March 2023.
Consolidated Copper Namibia acquired all the shares held by Bonohgroup in Weatherly Limited and China Africa Resources Namibia Limited.
Consolidated Copper Corp. announced early this year that it would resume production at Tschudi during 2024 from existing ore stockpiles.
The company also said it was undertaking engineering studies to restart mining from the existing open pit.
Here comes the money
Triangle Resource Partners, a syndicate of some of Consolidated Copper Corp’s founding shareholders, has now secured US$20 million to restart the processing plant at the Tschudi mine.
The Seychelles-based Triangle Resource Partners is a global investment firm that provides boutique private lending to the mining industry.
The company states on its website that it empowers mining companies with customised financial solutions, enabling them to thrive while operating to the highest standards of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
Additionally, Triangle Resource Partners says it is dedicated to supporting mining projects at all stages of development in Africa.
Recommissioning the Tschudi processing plant has created 61 new Namibian jobs, and more than 75% of the budget for this first phase of the mine restart has been spent locally.
Sisay says the true measure of Consolidated Copper Corp’s success will lie in the benefits experienced by the local community and its contribution to the clean energy value chain.
“We are committed to maximising local employment and education opportunities, alongside supporting social initiatives, to improve livelihoods across all of our areas of operation,” Sisay says.
He also says our first step is demonstrating the Tschudi plant’s full potential for the local economy.
Since its original commissioning, 30 similar refined copper processing plants have been built across the Central African Copper Belt. “Now it is Namibia’s time to share this regional growth story,” Sisay says.
This will be the first time Tschudi will return to life after four years.
The restart creates more than 60 Namibian jobs, with 75% of the refurbishment capital contracted to local Namibian suppliers.
The production marks the initiation of Consolidated Copper Corp.’s strategy to enhance Namibia’s copper industry through the restart of three brownfield mines backed by sustainable domestic processing.
Consolidated Copper is utilising the substantial existing infrastructure capable of producing refined LME-grade copper cathodes to support its restart plan.
Exploration and development work at the Tschudi copper mine revealed a resource of 51 Mt.
Consolidated Copper completed further geo-metallurgical and historic drill tests at Tschudi, which revealed more copper available at a deeper depth, extending the mine’s life from three towards the company’s target of 10 years or more.
The company is evaluating the potential of constructing a concentrator at Tschudi to increase the mine life and output of copper.
Current works at Tschudi have extended to assaying for copper, iron, sulphur, and calcium to better delineate ore zones through advanced grade control drilling.
Appointing key personnel
Consolidated Copper Corp (CCC) has appointed Yalkin Demirkaya as the company’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
With over 40 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity, Demirkaya’s expertise will be pivotal as Consolidated Copper Corp advances its operational capabilities during a critical growth phase.
As Consolidated Copper Corp progresses its strategic restart plans for the Tschudi, Otjihase, and Matchless copper mines, alongside plans to revive the Berg Aukas lead and zinc mine, Demirkaya’s appointment will ensure Consolidated Copper Corp’s technological framework is robust enough to support both current operations and future expansion.
He spent 20 years in the New York Police Department as CIO and Chief Information Security Officer before founding Cyber Diligence, a firm specialising in investigative, consulting and testimony services in IT. Demirkaya has advised law enforcement and the legal and academic communities throughout his IT and network security career.
In his new role, Demirkaya will be instrumental in integrating advanced IT systems that support CCC’s broader sustainability and operational excellence objectives.
He will also ensure the company’s cybersecurity is robust, mitigating risks and embedding best practices across all business functions.
Demirkaya said his goal is to harness technology to meet the challenges of modern mining while anticipating future needs.
“I look forward to contributing to Consolidated Copper Corp.’s vision of setting new sustainability and operational efficiency standards,” he said.
Consolidated Copper Corp. CEO John Sisay said Demirkaya’s expertise in both IT and cybersecurity will be invaluable as the company navigates the complexities of the mining industry.
“With the growing demand for copper driven by the global energy transition, his leadership will ensure that CCC has the technological infrastructure needed to meet this demand while positioning us at the forefront of responsible, sustainable mining,” Sisay said.
