Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine
  • Location
    Lualaba, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
  • Ownership
    45% (inclusive of the share interest held via holdings in Ivanhoe Mines)
  • Project status
    In Operation + Under Expansion
  • Deposit Type
    Sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposits
  • Mineral Resources (Inclusive of Mineral Reserves)
    Contained copper of 43.12Mt with grade of 2.54%
  • Mining & Processing methods
    Underground mining + flotation
  • 2022 production
    Mined copper: 333kt(100% basis)
  • Project Overview

    The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine is a world-class, ultra-high-grade, large copper mine, located on the Katanga copper-cobalt belt, in the northeastern part of the Central African Copper Belt, which spans southern DRC and northern Zambia. Currently, exploration activities continue at Kamoa North and Kamoa Far North, showing significant potential for adding reserves.

  • Debottlenecking and Expansion

    Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators, along with their joint debottlenecking programs, have all been completed, achieving a processing capacity of 9.2 million tonnes per annum. This results in a combined annual production capacity of more than 450,000 tonnes of copper. It is expected to become the world’s fourth-largest copper mine.

    Currently, efforts are underway to accelerate the construction of the Phase 3 concentrator plant with a capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum and the construction of a 500,000 tonnes per annum copper smelter. These new facilities will be completed and commissioned by October 2024, lifting the annual production capacity to 620,000 tonnes of copper.

    Upon reaching a processing capacity of 19.2 million tonnes per year, the project will become the world’s second-largest copper mine, with an annual copper production of more than 800,000 tonnes.

  • ESG

    Kamoa-Kakula uses clean, renewable hydropower. A 2020 independent audit by Hatch Ltd. of Canada confirmed that the mine would be one the world’s lowest GHG emitters per unit of copper produced.

    Kamoa-Kakula’s contributions to the DRC are equivalent to approximately 4% of the country’s GDP. The project adheres to a local hiring policy, with over 97% of employees being DRC residents. A long-term program called Sustainable Livelihoods is being implemented there, supporting various community projects such as fruit and fish farming, poultry and beekeeping, education, and micro-companies. The Kamoa-Kakula project has constructed new primary schools, secondary schools, churches, and sponsored local residents in establishing brick and clothing factories and drilling water wells in the communities. Construction of the Kamoa Center of Excellence will commence in 2023, aiming to train and provide more mining technicians and managers for the project and the DRC.

  • M&A

    Zijin Mining is the largest equity interest holder of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine, ultimately owing approximately a 45% interest in the project. In 2015, Zijin Mining acquired a 49.5% interest in Kamoa Holding Limited from Ivanhoe Mines, thereby indirectly holding a 39.6% equity interest in the Kamoa-Kakula project. Zijin Mining also holds a 13.59% interest in Ivanhoe Mines, making it the second-largest shareholder of the Canadian mining company.

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