Jiangxi Copper Corporation, which is to develop copper mine in Afghanistan together with China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), has pledged to protect local environment in the mining.

 

"We will abide by international standard and develop the copper mine with high-tech measures, so as to ensure environmental protection during the process," said Zha Kebing, assistant chief engineer of Jiangxi Copper Co. Monday.

 

Jiangxi Copper Co. has invested about 800 million yuan (106.7 million U.S. dollars) in recent years to reduce energy consumption, realize resource recycling and improve environment, said Zha.

 

Founded in 1979, the Jiangxi company boasts the largest copper production base in China. It is also a large producer of gold and silver and has been listed in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London.

 

Last year the company achieved a revenue of 31 billion yuan (4.13 billion U.S. dollars), in which nearly 3 billion yuan (400 million U.S. dollars) was gained in the form of recycling economy.

 

"By reclaiming rare metal and sulfur dioxide and generate electricity with the afterheat, we have improved the value of one ton of copper ore from 160 yuan to 600 yuan (21.3 to 80 U.S. dollars)," said the engineer.

 

MCC beat bids by Strikeforce, part of Russia's Basic Element Group; the London-based Kazakhmys Consortium; Hunter Dickinson of Canada; and U.S. copper mining firm Phelps Dodge by offering 808 million U.S. dollars to obtain a 30-year lease for developing the the Aynak mine 30 km east of Kabul.

 

Discovered in the early 1970s, the mine is estimated to contain 11.3 million tons of copper and recognized as one of the world's largest.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2007)