The work and preparation for establishing World’s first Elite Pongamia based copper (Cu) tailings dump regeneration began way back in 2015 where all previous attempts of establishing vegetation had failed. Grasses, local weeds, sunhemp, lupins had failed due to the prevailing conditions—4000ppm Cu (copper), 8000ppm Na (sodium),Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), 0% carbon and 0% nitrogen.

Mining for Cu (copper) generates enormous quantities of contaminated crushed rock. The processes of mining, leaching, solvent extraction, milling and smelting generate toxic highly erodible sludges (tailings) that contain elevated levels of Cu (Copper) and other minerals.

In 2016,  in one corner of Konkona Copper Mines’ tailings dump, spread over 625 Ha, began the pioneering work of regeneration. By January 2018, 13 months after they were planted, over 99% of Elite Pongamia survived under the most difficult of conditions—dust storms, soil erosion and no rain.  The trees received irrigation of a meagre 20 litres per plant a month during the driest month.

The genetic superiority of our Elite Pongamia—high survival rates and the promise of early yields, with the trees podding in the second year–was successfully established. The islands of colonizing species growing around Pongamia made way for the beginning of biodiversity. The pioneering effort is a breakthrough for addressing all such contaminated land regeneration.

BetterWorld Energy, based in Lusaka, Zambia, is our vehicle for the research, testing and implementation of innovative breakthrough technologies to resolve the most challenging environmental, social and economic problems using integrated approaches.