Key Points
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Ivanhoe heats up new 500 000 t yearly copper smelter in the DRC
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Traditional leaders launch the ceremony with a symbolic flame
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Engineers begin hot commissioning as power systems near completion
Ivanhoe Mines has begun heating up its new 500 000 tonnes-a-year copper smelter at the Kamoa-Kakula complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company expects to feed the first batch of concentrate into the furnace before the end of December.
The milestone was celebrated on November 21 during a ceremony led by local traditional chiefs. They gathered at a prepared lwanzo lwa mikuba, a traditional copper furnace, where community leaders smelted commemorative Katanga Crosses and offered prayers.
Chief Musokantanda Sabuni Kafweku carried the flame from the ceremony to the smelter site. He handed it to Ivanhoe Mines founder and co-chairperson Robert Friedland, who lit a torch used to start the furnace heat-up.
Operations Move Into Hot Commissioning
Friedland told the gathering that the new smelter marks a major shift for Kamoa-Kakula and the region. He noted that the heat-up represents a step toward cleaner and more efficient copper production in the DRC.
Ivanhoe reported that the furnace has reached 800 degrees Celsius. Engineers plan to keep it at that temperature for nine days while they carry out hot commissioning of the steam systems, boiler and concentrate dryer. Work on the furnace electrodes and the acid circuit will also run during this period.
Power Backup Nears Completion
The company is finishing a 60 MW uninterruptible power supply built to keep the smelter stable during any grid fluctuations. The system can provide up to two hours of instant backup power. Kamoa-Kakula also has 180 MW of on-site diesel generation.
Once the smelter reaches full output, it will process concentrate from the complex’s phase 1, 2 and 3 concentrators. Extra concentrate will be sent to the Lualaba smelter in Kolwezi.
Ivanhoe said stockpiled concentrate at the site totals about 37 000 tonnes and is expected to reduce to around 17 000 tonnes during 2026 as operations ramp up.
Company Expects New Benchmark for Africa
Ivanhoe noted that the new facility will become the largest and greenest copper smelter on the continent once fully operational. The company views it as a central part of its long-term expansion in the DRC.
