Ivanhoe Mines has announced a significant achievement in its operations at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a production of 86,203 tonnes of copper concentrate during the first quarter of 2024. This performance aligns with the company’s ambitious full-year production guidance, estimating the output to be between 440,000 and 490,000 tonnes of copper concentrate for the entirety of 2024.
During this quarter, the Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1 and 2 concentrators impressively processed approximately 2.06 million tonnes of ore, boasting an average copper feed grade of 4.8%. Notably, the copper flotation recoveries averaged at 87.4%, slightly exceeding the design recovery rate of 86% set for the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators. A daily milling record was also set on January 2, where 31,375 tonnes of ore were processed within 24 hours, demonstrating the complex’s capacity to handle a yearly milling rate of 10.5 million tonnes.
The first quarter saw a record mining output of 2.5 million tonnes of ore from the Kakula and Kamoa 1 underground mines. The mined ore from Kamoa 1 is currently being stockpiled on the surface, awaiting the imminent launch of the Phase 3 concentrator, which is progressing ahead of schedule and is expected to complete in the upcoming month. By the quarter’s end, 2.05 million tonnes of stockpiled ore were ready for the Phase 3 concentrator, carrying an average grade of 3.1% copper.
Despite these achievements, Ivanhoe Mines acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly with the instability within the DRC’s southern power grid, which has impacted production metrics like throughput and head grade since late 2022. This issue was exacerbated by heavier-than-usual rainfall during the season, causing increased water levels in the Congo river and leading to debris blockages at the Inga hydroelectric dam complex intakes, negatively affecting hydro generation capacity.
To address these challenges, Ivanhoe Mines and the DRC’s state-owned power company, La Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL), have collaborated on infrastructure upgrades to the southern DRC’s grid since December of the previous year. The partnership aims to enhance the grid’s stability and capacity, including the installation of new harmonic filters and static compensators, along with other initiatives to improve transmission capability.
Ivanhoe Mines Energy DRC, a subsidiary of Ivanhoe Mines, has expanded its financing agreement with SNEL, dedicating up to $450 million towards grid infrastructure upgrades. This investment, expected to complete by mid-next year, will not only support Kamoa-Kakula’s operations but also contribute to preventing future blockages at the Inga dam intakes.
In addition to grid improvements, Kamoa Copper is boosting its on-site backup generation capacity, planning an increase from 58 MW to over 200 MW by the end of the Phase 3 smelter in the fourth quarter. This expansion includes the installation of additional generator farms and the commissioning of extra generation capacity, ensuring operational stability and redundancy for current and future phases.
Moreover, Kamoa-Kakula has benefited from an additional 15 MW of power supplied from the Zambian grid since mid-March, with negotiations underway to secure an extra 35 MW. By the year’s end, the complex aims to receive up to 100 MW through this interconnection, marking a significant step towards stabilizing operations.
Ivanhoe Mines is set to release its comprehensive financial results for the first quarter and provide a detailed operational update by April 30, shedding further light on the progress and future prospects of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex.
Source: Mining Weekly
