Kazakhmys copper plans new concentrator

/REUTERS, Almaty, Tatyana Seroshtanova, March 2, 05/ - Kazakhstan's copper monopoly Kazakhmys said on Wednesday it plans to build a third ore-enrichment plant, which will permit it to raise refined metal output to 500,000 tonnes from 445,230 tonnes in 2004. "This will be a gigantic project," spokesman Vladislav Nikolayev said. "The work may start in 2006." He declined to say how much the project would cost, but said the company intended to use some proceeds from a planned share placement in London and loans to build the plant, which will be capable of processing up to 50 million tonnes of ore per year. He said the new plant would use thin ores from Aktogai, Aidarly, Kosmurun and Akbastau deposits located in the east of Kazakhstan which may contain up to 20 million tonnes of copper. Kazakhmys, headquartered in Dzhezkazgan, in Central Kazakhstan, accounts for 90 percent of the Central Asian state's copper output and is among the world's top 10 producers of the metal. ((Reporting by Tatyana Seroshtanova, editing by Michael Roddy; Reuters Messaging: aleksandras.budrys.reuters.com@reuters.net; +7 095 775 1242)) [2005-03-02]