It’s not just gold mining that is thriving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The international scramble for battery minerals is also providing some exciting opportunities for economic development in the country.According to Ivanhoe Mines, owners of the Kamoa copper mine, quarterly production reached 87 314 tonnes in the second quarter of this year, reaching 30 379 tonnes of copper in June alone.This is a new quarterly production record for the mine, while the June performance marks the third consecutive month that the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex has surpassed its throughput design capacity of 7.6 million tonnes per annum.Kamoa Copper milled approximately 1.95 million ore tonnes during the second quarter at an average feed grade of 5.44% copper. Copper recoveries were averaging more than 86% during June this year.Showcasing its commitment to the DRC, Ivanhoe Mines is evaluating additional material handling capacity at Kakula to increase mining rates to feed the de-bottlenecked Phase 1 and 2 processing capacity of 9.2 million tonnes per year, which will be incorporated into the Phase 3 expansion pre-feasibility study scheduled for release in the second half of the year. “Kamoa Copper continues to deliver industry-leading operational performance, with the rapid advancement of Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrator plants, which are now approaching a production rate of 400 000 tonnes of copper per year. We will continue this track record of excellence as we realise the vast potential across the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex, which will be operating in the DRC for generations,” said Ivanhoe Mines founder Robert Friedland.“Kamoa-Kakula is on pace to be the world's third-largest copper mining complex by the end of 2024, with the Phase 3 expansion expected to boost total copper production to approximately 600 000 tonnes per annum. We are already among the ranks of the world's major copper producers – a metal the world vitally requires for conventional energy and industry, as well as the long-term shift to green energy and electrification. We are at an inf lection point for the copper industry. One where we must meet substantial demand growth over the coming decades, even as discovering and building new mines has become more challenging and more complex.“The supply-demand landscape for the copper market remains extremely clear despite any short-term market f luctuations and policy-driven demand destruction. Kamoa-Kakula will be an integral part of the supply solution, but we will need astronomically higher global copper production to solve the ongoing energy crisis and complete the vital transition to green energy.”
