Hindustan Copper to revive Kendadih, Rakha mines in Jharkhand; production capacity to rise

New Delhi: State-owned Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) is preparing to restart operations at its Kendadih and Rakha copper mines in Jharkhand, a senior company official said. The revival of the two mines is expected to substantially increase the company’s ore production capacity and support domestic supply amid rising demand for copper.

The Kendadih mine is projected to begin with an annual production of 0.22 million tonnes, which will be gradually scaled up to 0.45 million tonnes. The Rakha mine is expected to reach a peak production capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum once fully operational, the official said.

Both mines are undergoing a transition from opencast to underground mining and are expected to have an operational life of over 50 years.

“The lease execution with the Jharkhand state government is in process, and the proposal for amendment to the Environmental Clearance (EC) is under review by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,” the official said.

The Kendadih and Rakha mines are located within HCL’s Indian Copper Complex in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, which also houses the company’s smelting and refining facilities at Ghatsila.

The reopening of the mines is part of HCL’s plan to ramp up its ore production from the current level of around 4 million tonnes per annum to 12.2 million tonnes per annum by 2030-31. The company has earmarked over ₹2,000 crore for mine expansion and development under this programme.India’s refined copper demand stood at approximately 1.3 million tonnes in 2023-24 and is projected to double to 2.6 million tonnes by 2030, driven by growing requirements from sectors such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, construction, and electronics.