Global commodities giant Glencore has hinted at reopening its Mutanda copper-cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of the year.
In November 2019, Glencore put the mine under care and maintenance, citing low cobalt prices and higher input costs. Media reports also indicate that the on-site smelter is undergoing reconstruction for better cost-efficiency.
On Monday, the miner discussed a restart with the DRC’s mine minister Antoinette N’Samba, wherein, the ministry said that they are now expecting a late 2021 restart, compared with the 2022 schedule that was set in May. Mutanda is capable of producing close to 200,000mt of copper concentrate per year.