Smelting and refining

Owing to the production capabilities of our Polish copper smelters, KGHM is one of the world leaders in metallurgy.  

KGHM owns three copper metallurgical facilities:

  • The Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery
  • The Legnica Copper Smelter and Refinery
  • The Cedynia Wire Rod Plant

These production facilities are all located in Poland, in the Lower-Silesia region.

Production by KGHM’s smelter/refineries mainly relies on the geological company's own resources and copper ore concentrates produced on-site. KGHM's current processing strategy calls for production of about 600,000 tons of electrolytic copper. The company plans to boost the recovery of elements from copper production and continuously improve metallurgical technologies.

The technological processes in all three of KGHM's metallurgical facilities are based on different solutions. 

In the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery, copper concentrate is smelted using flash furnace technology. This facility also includes a Precious Metals Plant that produces silver and gold.

The Legnica Copper Smelter and Refinery produces copper cathodes by means of traditional shaft furnace technology of the shaft furnace and through the process of electrorefining. A new rotary-casting-refining furnace for processing scrap with an average 95% Cu content joined the Legnica production line in 2019.

The Cedynia Wire Rod Plant is a copper rolling mill that processes electrolytic copper produced in the smelter/refineries, Głogów and Legnica.  Production is carried out with a modern installation for the production of wire rod using the Contirod method, without the use of billets. Also, copper wire Upcast is produced.

Apart from copper, silver and gold, KGHM's metallurgical facilities also produce:

  • lead
  • refined lead
  • sulphuric acid 
  • nickel sulphate