Dubai firm plans smelter in Tanzania

26 October 2011

A Dubai-based energy firm has announced plans to build a $500 million (£312 million) copper smelter and sugar plant in Tanzania, reports Reuters.

City Energy & Infrastructure has announced that the first ever copper smelter in east Africa will have a capacity of 300,000 tonnes of blister copper a year, and should be open within two to three years.

The company signed a memorandum of agreement with the Tanzanian government earlier this month (October 20th) for the development of the plant, which will be located in Kigoma.

Irfan Khan, director of City Energy & Infrastructure told the news provider that the company also plans to develop 100,000 hectares of agricultural land in the country, with a view to growing sugarcane for their proposed sugar plant.

"The total investment in these projects will range at $500 million," he added.

The plans mark another investment in the infrastructure of Tanzania, after Japan announced it will plough $24.2 into improving transport links between the nation and its neighbour Rwanda. 

Category: Energy