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Join on Telegram Rabat – London-based mining company Alterian is looking for partners to establish a joint venture for the development of copper assets at the Agdz mine in the Anti-Atlas mountains.
Alterian’s Chairman Charles Bray told The Africa Report this week that the company’s Adgz project is “large enough to get the attention of the majors,” adding that talks with potential partners are ongoing.
Alterian is currently preparing for a drilling program at the Agdz site, formerly owned by Elemental Altus Royalties, with copper production expected to start in five or seven years, says Bray.
On November 3, Alterian reported the discovery of “high-grade copper and silver” with samples showing “highly encouraging results.” The London-based company currently holds 15 mineral projects in Morocco with a total area of 762 square kilometers.
Alterian’s sample study reflects promising copper and silver assets in Morocco, a country that remains “underexplored,” according to Bray.
Read Also: Morocco Most Attractive Place for Mining Investors in Africa
The executive argued that the under-exploration of Moroccan copper assets is partially due to the ease of copper mining in Latin America, adding that the situation is likely to change ahead of a long-term copper shortage.
According to S&P Global, the copper demand is forecasted to nearly double by 2035. Copper is widely used in the production of technologies key to green transition including renewable, storage technologies, and e-mobility solutions.
Copper is often dubbed the “metal of electrification.” However, the extraction and treatment process of copper can have a damaging impact on people and nature due to the use of sulphuric acid, which can cause land degradation, deforestation, acid rain, and pollution of water resources.
The sulphuric acid is also “destructive” to the skin, eyes, teeth, and lungs, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
