Zangezur Copper Complex Modernization Doubles Processing Capacity

The Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), Armenia's largest mining enterprise, has completed a major modernization program increasing ore processing capacity to 18 million tonnes annually. The $200 million investment positions the operation for decades of continued production from the massive Kajaran deposit.

ZCMC accounts for 60 percent of Armenia's annual mining turnover and operates the country's most significant mineral resource. The Kajaran deposit holds 2.24 billion tonnes of ore reserves containing approximately 6 percent of global molybdenum resources.

Following ownership restructuring in 2021, the company donated 25 percent of shares to the Armenian government, establishing a public stake in the nation's most valuable mining asset. The arrangement ensures government participation in sector profits while maintaining private operational management.

Modernization efforts focused on processing efficiency improvements, environmental compliance upgrades, and worker safety enhancements. New flotation circuits and grinding equipment enable higher metal recovery rates from complex ores.

At current extraction rates, Kajaran's reserves could sustain mining operations for another 100 to 120 years, providing long-term economic stability for the Syunik region where the mine represents the largest employer.