According to DFC, The Reko Diq project (the “Project”) entails developing a greenfield open- pit mining operation with processing facilities to produce a high-quality copper-gold concentrate. The Reko Diq mine development includes two open pits, a processing plant, several low-grade ore stockpiles, two waste rock dumps (WRD), a tailings storage facility (TSF), a heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plant, and photovoltaic (PV) solar array, and other auxiliary infrastructure.

The Project will be developed on land purchased or leased from the Government of Balochistan and does not require private land acquisition. The scope of the Project does not include the smelting and refining processes that commercial off-takers will undertake outside of Pakistan. The Project will produce 200-250 thousand tons of copper per year.

The Project is a major copper and gold mining development located near Nok Kundi village in the Chagai district of Balochistan, Pakistan. It is one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits and is operated by the Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC).

DFC claims that the project site is in a remote, sparsely populated area with minimal permanent settlements and limited grazing activity. However, villages and more extensive livelihood activities exist within 15 km of the site.

The project will use existing road and rail infrastructure, with upgrades and new construction (including a rail spur) to enable transport of copper-gold ore concentrate over 1,400 km to Port Qasim in Karachi. Concentrate will be handled at the Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT) using existing port facilities (berth, ship loader, cranes, and conveyors), without requiring new port infrastructure. A leased area will house storage facilities for the concentrate.

A fuel oil-fired thermal power plant, supplemented with solar power, will provide the project’s electricity. Diesel generators will supply power during construction, and fuel will be transported from Port Qasim. A future plan involves connecting to the national grid by 2042. Water will be sourced from a saline groundwater aquifer near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, transported via pipeline from a borefield to the mine and accommodation facilities.

The project includes a potential expansion plan to scale up production to 400,000 tons of copper per year, which will involve increasing the capacity of related infrastructure including water, power, and tailings storage.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Unlike many other development finance institutions, DFC does not currently have an access to information policy.

Under the United States Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), DFC is obliged to respond to reasonably formulated requests for Agency records. However, DFC may apply exemptions from release to certain types of information and may charge fees in responding to requests. DFC has a designated FOIA officer who is trained in how to respond to requests and implement the law. You can learn more about filing a FOIA request at: https://www.dfc.gov/foia

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION (DFC)

The Office of Accountability is an independent office that addresses complaints about environmental or social issues related to DFC-supported projects. The office provides communities an opportunity to have concerns independently reviewed and addressed. If you submit a complaint to the Office of Accountability, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a problem solving dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the DFC complied with its policies to prevent environmental, social, human rights, and labor harms.

You can find more information about the Office of Accountability at: https://www.dfc.gov/who-we-are/office-accountability