Limestone moves beneath Zambia’s copper revival

Limestone moves beneath Zambia’s copper revival

In Zambia’s Copperbelt, the limestone beneath Ndola, Kitwe and Chingola is gaining newfound prominence. No longer relegated to cement manufacture, its calciferous form, transformed into quicklime, is steadily becoming a lynchpin in copper production. As copper mines ramp up extraction, they are driving intense demand for quicklime, a multifaceted additive used to separate copper ore from rock, neutralise acid generated by sulfide minerals, and e…