(Agence Ecofin) – Kamoa-Kakula is the largest Congolese copper mine, with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes. In August 2024, a monthly production record of 40,347 tonnes was set after the commissioning of a new concentrator at the site.
Ivanhoe Mines announced on Monday, November 4, monthly production of 41,800 tonnes of copper concentrate at its Kamoa-Kakula complex in the DRC. This is a new record set by the country’s largest mine, following the production of 40,347 tonnes of concentrate in August 2024.
These record levels come with the entry into service of the third Kamoa-Kakula concentrator, which this year brought the mine’s total production capacity to more than 600,000 tonnes per year. “In October, we achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing the annualized production rate of 500,000 tonnes of copper, placing us among the leading copper producers globallysaid Robert Friedland, founder and executive co-chairman of Ivanhoe.
Note that despite the commissioning of this new factory, Ivanhoe revised its production forecasts downward in October due to the instability of the Congolese electricity network. It wants to produce 425,000 to 450,000 tonnes in 2024, against an objective of 440,000 to 490,000 tonnes initially announced.
Ivanhoe Mines and local authorities indicate that a definitive solution should be found in 2025 for the electricity supply, guaranteeing the DRC a maximum contribution from Kamoa-Kakula. An increase in production in the copper complex can indeed help the country consolidate its status as the second largest producer in the world. The DRC produced 2.8 million tonnes of copper in 2023 and its production is expected to reach 3 million tonnes in 2024.
Emiliano Tossou
Also read:
08/10/2024 – DRC: energy deficit reduces copper production forecasts
05/09/2024 – DRC: production record in August for Kamoa thanks to its third factory
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