Work on a nickel project, the largest-ever mining venture in southern Zambia, began Tuesday in the presence of President Levy Mwanawasa, according to dpa. The 65-million-dollar Munali Nickel Project located 60 kilometres south of Lusaka is the first nickel mine in copper-rich Zambia. Officiating at a ground-breaking ceremony at the mine, Mwanawasa appealed to international and local investors to take advantage of incentives in the Mines and Minerals Development Act to exploit the country's mineral wealth. The mine, owned by Australia's Albidon Zambia Limited, which is part open-cast, part underground, is slated for actual production next year. Albidon expects production to reach up to 8,500 tonnes of nickel in concentrate. Albidon Zambia managing director Brian Kennedy said the project would mine nickel, gold, copper and cobalt when fully operational.
