Morocco’s mining sector is entering a phase of significant expansion and value-chain deepening, driven by surging demand for critical minerals and the strategic ambition to move up from raw concentrate production to higher-value processed materials. In a detailed review published by Medias24, two sites have already redefined the national landscape in 2025 and are setting new records in 2026: the Tizert copper mine and the Zgounder silver mine.
Tizert, operated by Managem and carrying resources of 127 million tonnes at an average copper grade of 0.87 percent, began production in 2025 and immediately became Morocco’s largest copper mine. Despite still ramping up, the site produced 33,824 tonnes of copper concentrate in its first year. Output is projected to reach 110,000 tonnes in 2026. Tizert is also Morocco’s first Industry 4.0 intelligent mine, operating through a converged IT/OT architecture and real-time monitoring dashboards covering production, maintenance, energy and quality.
A copper foundry is planned to produce cathodes domestically for the first time, targeting Morocco’s automotive and high-tech sectors. Bouskour, with 43.2 million tonnes of resources at 0.88 percent copper, is slated to become the second-largest copper mine by 2029.
In silver, Zgounder — operated by Canadian company Aya Gold & Silver — produced 4.82 million ounces in 2025, overtaking the historic Imiter mine for the first time. Production guidance for 2026 is 5.2 to 5.8 million ounces, rising to a cruise rate of 6 million ounces annually from 2027. Imiter, in operation since 1969, retains significant strategic value and residual life, with open-pit expansion under preparation. Silver prices surged to between $70 and $100 per ounce in the first half of 2026 before retreating to approximately $58.
At Bou-Azzer, Morocco’s only active cobalt mine, a new cobalt sulfate production unit came on-stream — the first in Africa — with a nominal capacity of 2,880 tonnes per year, serving the NMC battery cathode supply chain. Production is expected to recover to 2,870 tonnes of cathode cobalt in 2026, after falling sharply in 2025 when prices were depressed. Cobalt is currently trading above $56,000 per tonne, up 132 percent year-on-year.
Looking toward 2030, Aya Gold & Silver’s Boumadine polymetallic project in the Drâa-Tafilalet region is expected to contribute 5 million ounces of silver equivalent annually from six open-pit and three underground mines, with feasibility studies due in the second half of 2027 and construction from 2028. Tin mining at Achmmach near Khemisset, now under development by the Chinese group Xingye, is set to rank among the world’s largest tin mines. Discussions are also underway for the construction of a national smelter that would allow Morocco to process its concentrates locally and produce gold and silver metal directly on home soil.
