The Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo reported producing 93,603 tonnes of copper concentrate in the first quarter of this year.
Ivanhoe Mines said the Kamoa-Kakula Phase I and II concentrators now have an annual processing capacity of 9.2 million tonnes following the completion of a de-bottlenecking programme. Ivanhoe Mines holds a 39.6 per cent stake in Kamoa-Kakula.
The $50 million debottlenecking project was completed in late February and ahead of schedule, within budget, to increase copper concentrate production capacity to 450,000 tonnes per year.
The Kamoa-Kakula mine also achieved a record average copper recovery of more than 88 percent in March.
Ivanhoe said Kamoa-Kakula represents a rare high-margin growth story for the copper industry, with the third phase of expansion well underway in 2024.
The Kamoa-Kakula project is one of the largest and highest-grade copper mines in the world.
