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UAE giant eyes majority stake in Vedanta's Zambian mines in expansion drive

The mining financial investment arm of Abu Dhabi's most valuable company has provided to purchase a. majority stake in Vedanta Resources' Zambian copper possessions, 2. sources familiar with the matter informed , in its drive to. construct an African copper mining empire.

The unit of International Holding Business just recently. made a deal of more than $1 billion to purchase a 51% stake in. Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) from Indian billionaire Anil. Agarwal-owned Vedanta, the sources said.

The unit - International Resources Holding (IRH) - is racing. to expand its blossoming copper mining service in Zambia after. buying a 51% stake in Mopani Copper Mines in a deal worth $1.1. billion. IRH said last month it prepared to bid for a stake owned. by EMR Capital in Lubambe Copper Mine, which is likewise for sale.

The deals spree is part of a push by oil-rich United Arab. Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia to secure important metal. supplies from Africa, a move that could also assist them. take part in the transition to green energy.

The IRH deal for a controlling stake is non-binding and. talks are continuous, among the sources stated. Vedanta may balk. at quiting a bulk interest in KCM as it has constantly desired. the properties on its balance sheet, the source added.

IRH is deeply dedicated to tactically broadening its. presence in the copper mining sector, exhibited by our. interest in multiple possessions, IRH said in reply to an ask for. remark. It declined to talk about continuous conversations.

Vedanta wishes to offer part of its 80% stake in KCM and has. employed Standard Chartered to manage the process in an. effort to raise capital to restore the properties, which were nearly. paralysed in an ownership conflict with the federal government that. erupted in 2019 when the then-administration seized them.

The Zambian federal government owns 20% of KCM through state firm. ZCCM-IH.

Stanchart released a ask for propositions looking for investors. thinking about purchasing a minority interest in KCM, the sources. said. IRH is just interested in a controlling stake in KCM as. there are no clear advantages in ending up being a passive investor in. the operations, the sources stated, as they are not generating income. and require significant investment.

Asked for remark, Vedanta said Stanchart was assisting in a. more comprehensive method to handle its capital structure and ensure the. company has the funds needed to satisfy its commitments and. continue operations once again.

As part of this process, we are engaging with prospective. partners for both short-term funding and longer-term equity. funding but can not disclose the names of these partners or. financiers due to the sensitive phase these conversations have. reached.

TROUBLED LEGACY

Vedanta recently restored control of the assets after. drawn-out legal fights, consisting of worldwide arbitration,. with the previous Zambian government which took the copper. mines and smelting plant after accusing the company of failing. to invest in expanding copper production.

The legal squabbles, which erupted following the May 2019. government-forced liquidation of KCM, starved the operations of. fresh capital and almost brought them to a standstill.

Now Vedanta wishes to raise about $1 billion to invest in the. assets over the next five years and an extra $300 million. to pay off exceptional local financial institutions, Chris Griffith, the CEO. of Vedanta's base metals system informed in February.

Much of the funding is required to advance the Konkola Deep. Mining Project, an underground operation, which holds among the. world's richest copper deposits.

Vedanta is open to offering either a minority or majority. stake and the company is seeing interest from numerous financiers,. a 3rd source said.

A rally in copper rates is likely to fuel financiers'. interest in the properties, but they may be unnerved by difficult. conditions consisting of removing groundwater from the Konkola Deep. underground operation, another source at a global miner which. previously checked out a deal over the properties, told .

(source: Reuters)