Zambia copper mines hit by national power blackout
* Key transformer gutted by fire
* Konkola Copper Mines to issue statement on any impact
(Adds details)
By Shapi Shacinda
LUSAKA, June 16 (Reuters) - A nationwide power blackout has forced Zambian copper mines to trim output and shut down machinery, and authorities are importing power from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials said on Tuesday.
Zambia, Africa's top copper producer, was plunged into darkness on Monday night after a key transformer on the national power grid was gutted by fire prompting the state power utility Zesco Ltd., to immediately start importing power from the DRC.
"Of course the mines have been affected, but the quantum of the effects is yet to be given by our members," Nathan Chishimba the president of the Chamber of Mines of Zambia told Reuters.
"The vulnerability is always on (copper) processing plants which require constant power supply," Chishimba said.
Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), which plans to more than double output to 305,000 tonnes of copper cathode in 2009, said it would issue a statement on any impact of the blackout.
London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L), Canada's First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO), Equinox Minerals Ltd EQN.TOEQN.AX and Glencore International AG [GLEN.L] also operate copper mines in Zambia.
Hanson Sindowe the chairman of the Copperbelt Energy Company (CEC), which buys power from Zesco Ltd. for distribution to the copper mines, said the country was importing power and using diesel generators to supply power to the country's copper mines.
"(After the incident), we immediately provided 80 megawatts from our generators and we also imported over 100 megawatts from the DRC," he said, adding that this wasn't sufficient for mining but would allow water to be pumped out to prevent flooding.
Copper mining is Zambia's economic mainstay and the mines are a major employer in this southern African country of 12 million people.
Konkola's planned output for this year would dwarf the 140,000 tonnes of copper it produced in 2008 and would be half of Zambia's total projected copper production of 600,000 tonnes in 2009.
(Reporting By Shapi Shacinda, Editing by Peter Blackburn)
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