Ivanhoe Mines Starts Copper Anode Production at Kamoa-Kakula Smelter
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Ivanhoe Mines began producing copper anodes at its 500,000-tonne-a-year Kamoa-Kakula smelter in Democratic Republic of Congo, the company said December 29. The facility, Africa's largest by capacity, poured its first 99.7%-pure anodes five weeks after heat-up and one week after initial concentrate feed.
The smelter will process output from three on-site concentrators, with Ivanhoe expecting 380,000-420,000 tonnes of copper in 2026 per company projections. Copper sales should exceed production by about 20,000 tonnes next year as 37,000 tonnes of stockpiled concentrate is processed, with on-site inventory targeted to fall to 17,000 tonnes. The furnace hit 1,250 degrees Celsius on schedule, with initial sulfuric acid by-product output for a regional market tightened by Zambia's 2025 export ban. At full capacity, annual acid production could reach 700,000 tonnes.
Construction logged one lost-time injury across 18 million man-hours. Power includes a 60-MW uninterruptible supply, 180 MW diesel backup and a 60-MW solar-storage plant due Q2 2026. Lower logistics costs and by-product sales should lift margins versus concentrate exports. Kakula Mine completed Stage Two dewatering for early selective mining on the east from late December; Stage Three runs through Q2 2026 without halting operations. Western grades are projected to rise from 3.5% in January to 4.0% by end-Q1, per Ivanhoe.
Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) also holds stakes in DRC's Kipushi zinc-copper-silver deposit and South Africa's Platreef PGM/base metals mine.
