Demand growth
The IEA projects copper demand to grow 30% by 2040, driven by grids, construction, industrial equipment and electrification.
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Highveld Industrial Park | Africa-ready beneficiation
AfriX Copper
Modular, non-electric copper smelting that turns oxide, transition, sulphide and e-waste feedstocks into refinery-ready blister copper with low electrical demand and rapid deployment.
- 1-5 tph
- modular furnace range
- 50-250 t/m
- target copper output range
- USD 2.4m
- source-deck project CAPEX
- 41%
- source-deck project IRR
Why this matters now
Copper supply needs faster, more flexible processing capacity.
Electrification, grids, data centres and industrial growth are lifting copper demand while new mines take longer and cost more to bring online. AfriX Copper is positioned around a practical bottleneck: converting underused African feedstocks into saleable copper without relying on large electric furnace loads.
Supply challenge
The current project pipeline could leave copper with a 30% supply deficit by 2035 as ore grades decline and project lead times stretch.
Read sourceConcentrate tightness
S&P Global points to tight concentrate supply and smelting bottlenecks as reasons copper prices remain structurally supported.
Read sourceBeneficiation policy
South Africa's critical minerals strategy calls for local processing, beneficiation, skills, jobs and cross-border African mineral value chains.
Read source
Project fit
Built for marginal, remote and mixed copper resources.
The AfriX Copper model targets feed sources that are often too small, remote or power-constrained for conventional processing. The source deck identifies sulphide concentrates, transition ores, oxide ores from Upington and Okiep, and e-waste as addressable feed categories.
- Recover value from low-grade deposits and historic stockpiles.
- Deploy near mines or at Highveld Industrial Park depending on logistics.
- Use modular capacity to phase capital and match feed availability.
Technology
Non-electric shaft furnace smelting, designed for Africa's energy reality.
The smelter concept uses internally generated thermal energy, heat recovery and modern gas cleaning to reduce reliance on grid power while keeping controls and auxiliary systems practical for local teams.
Feed preparation
Oxide, transition, sulphide or e-waste feed is blended with fluxes, binders and reductants.
Reduction and melting
Carbothermic reduction and shaft furnace smelting produce blister copper and separable slag.
Heat and gas recovery
Recuperation supports hot blast operation while cyclone and wet scrubber systems clean off-gas.
Saleable outputs
Blister copper moves to refining; dust is recycled and granulated slag can support construction uses.
Module economics
Scalable plants with fast deployment windows.
The source deck frames AfriX Copper around MK1 and MK4 furnace modules, allowing the business to start with smaller feed campaigns and expand as resources, offtake and operating data mature.
| Module | Feed basis | Blister copper | Typical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK1 1 tph | 200 t/m concentrate feed | 22 t/m | Pilot, tolling and campaign proof |
| MK4 1 tph | 480 t/m ore feed | 48 t/m | Compact commercial module |
| MK4 3 tph | 1,440 t/m ore feed | 144 t/m | Mine-site or HIP expansion plant |
Product output
Refinery-ready blister copper with circular by-products.
Supplied AfriX Copper materials present blister copper as the primary saleable product, with granulated slag for construction or cement use and recovered dust recycled back to the furnace.
94-99% Cu blister copper range across source materials
Slag reuse construction, cement or brickmaking pathways
Dust recycle recovered dust returned to the smelting process
Client value
A practical route from feedstock to refinery-ready copper.
Mine owners
Unlock oxide and transition ore that may not justify a conventional plant. Modules can be deployed at the mine or operated from a central industrial base.
Concentrate suppliers
Use toll smelting to convert concentrate into blister copper without carrying full smelter project complexity.
Urban mining partners
Evaluate e-waste campaigns for copper recovery, dust recycling and circular-economy metal flows.
Industrial offtakers
Build relationships around African blister copper supply that can expand with modular capacity.
Traction and location
Commercial history behind a new copper platform.
AfriX Copper was incorporated in 2024 to commercialise XRAM's copper smelter technology at Highveld Industrial Park, using a pilot and demonstration base plus planned MK4 furnace capacity.
- 2018 XRAM formulated the modular non-electric smelter concept.
- 2020 Commercial smelter plant constructed in Witvlei, Namibia.
- 2022 Commercial smelter deployment in Brits, South Africa.
- 2024 AfriX Copper incorporated to commercialise copper modules at HIP.
Highveld Industrial Park base
Industrial services already aligned to smelting operations.
The source deck identifies Highveld Industrial Park infrastructure as a key advantage: security, paved roads, weighbridges, Eskom power, water, piped process gas, industrial oxygen and nitrogen, laboratory services, emergency support and training facilities.
Process gas access
Road and rail logistics
Laboratory support
Training facilities
Investor case
Early-stage economics with clear diligence pathways.
The December 2024 source deck presents a compact project case with attractive returns, fast deployment and multiple expansion options. The website keeps those numbers visible while guiding serious investors to the diligence pack.
Project metrics are from the supplied source deck and should be updated against current operating, permitting, feedstock and offtake data before investment decisions.
Source-deck project case
Source-deck project case
Source-deck project case
What investors can verify
- Feedstock agreements, grade assumptions and transport costs.
- MK1 operating data, campaign performance and scale-up parameters.
- Permitting, gas cleaning, water and emissions controls.
- Offtake, toll smelting terms and downstream refining route.
Expansion paths
- Additional furnaces at Highveld Industrial Park.
- Relocatable modules at mine sites.
- Franchise or partnership model across African deposits.
- Future vertical integration into refining and copper products.
Resources
Download the investor and technical starting points.
The site is designed to give fast confidence, then move qualified visitors into the full deck, flyer and a direct conversation.
Start a conversation
Discuss investment, feedstock, offtake or technical partnership.
Serious enquiries can share project scope, feed type, location, expected volume and preferred commercial model. The form opens an email draft so the next step is immediate.
info@xramtech.com
Highveld Industrial Park, eMalahleni, South Africa
Technology commercialised from XRAM copper smelter concept