Iran has brought two major copper plants on stream, adding 80,000 tonnes per year to its anode production capacity, the official IRNA news agency said.

The Khatounabad smelter, a new $245-million plant in the southeastern province of Kerman, came on stream to add 80,000 tonnes per year to the country’s anode production capacity.
The Meydouk copper mine and concentrator, in the same province, was also officially commissioned with a capacity of 150,000 tonnes of concentrate annually.
“By commissioning these two projects, Iran’s (cathode) copper capacity will reach 280,000 tonnes from the current 140,000,” President Mohammad Khatami said at an airport near Iran’s copper heartlands.
Khatami gave no specific target date, but industry officials have said cathode output would probably reach 250,000 tonnes by March 2006.
Khatounabad’s anode will be fed to the Sarcheshmeh complex for refining into high-purity cathode, along with the anode already produced at Sarcheshmeh.
The Khatounabad project was delayed by violent demonstrations in January 2004 when four workers were killed.
Sarcheshmeh is Iran’s largest copper complex, boasting a mine, concentrator, smelter and refinery, which is expanding gradually.
The National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO), a state monopoly,  said it produced 150,000 tonnes of cathode in the year to March 2004, of which 25 percent was exported.
“The Sarcheshmeh concentrator is now very close to nominal capacity, that is 1,600 tonnes per day,” NICICO board member Ali Raisszadeh told Reuters recently.
Meydouk is thought to have a reserve of 170 million tonnes of copper-bearing ore.
“Its concentrator will reach capacity within two months from commissioning,” Raisszadeh said.
Commissioning of Sungun, a mine in the northwest scheduled for autumn 2004, has been postponed to July 2005.
“Sungun’s installations will be finished by March 2005,” the NICICO official said.