First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has praised transporter Buks Haulage Limited (BHL) for opening up a new trade route between North-Western Province and Walvis Bay that has massively reduced the time and expense of accessing the Namibian port.

BHL has rehabilitated the 220km road between Kasempa and Kaoma at its own cost under a memorandum of understanding with the Government’s Road Development Agency (RDA).

The repair and grading of the gravel road – which was previously unusable – was sub-contracted to FQM’s in-house roads engineering department under a commercial contract from BHL.

FQM has supported the initiative by allocating transport to Walvis Bay of 30 percent of its copper anodes with BHL.

Some 220 truckloads are used to carry the 7,000 tonnes of copper every month and transport mining equipment and supplies back to its Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi and Sentinel Mine at Kalumbila.

The trucks now travel from Kaoma to Mongu and across the border at Sesheke, cutting 400km and two-days off the previous journey via Chingola and Livingstone.

“We did that road completely at our own cost. We do all the haulage to Walvis Bay for FQM through that route,” explained Buks Haulage chief executive officer Buks van Rensburg.

“This is a completely new corridor. There is now a new opportunity on the western side of Zambia, and to connect Western Province to the Democratic republic of Congo,” he added.

And FQM Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli observed that when transport systems are safe and efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities and benefits that result in positive multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment, and additional investment.

“In addition to the work by BHL, FQM has boosted some of Zambia’s rural economies by carrying out vital road improvements on the Solwezi-Chingola road as part of a multi-million project. When the country has an efficient transport sector, the results is an investment coming in, easy access to markets as well as fast and easy delivery of goods and services,” he said.

Last year the mining company’s internal road engineering department finished most of the roadworks on the Solwezi-Chingola road, one of the most economically important arteries in the country, which was in danger of becoming impassable in the rainy season.

FQM has spent US$3.5 million on the project since 2017.