Ivanhoe Mines announced that its newly constructed copper smelter at the Kamoa-Kakula complex successfully produced its first batch of copper anodes on December 29, 2025. This milestone came approximately five weeks following the initiation of the smelter’s heating procedures and roughly one week after concentrate material was first introduced to the facility. The facility, located in Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, represents a significant infrastructure development for the company’s copper operations.
The smelter represents a substantial capital investment of $1.1 billion and required approximately 18 million hours of labor to complete construction. The project achieved an exceptional health and safety record, with only one lost-time injury recorded during the entire construction phase. This translates to a lost-time injury frequency rate of approximately 0.054 per million hours worked, representing an industry-leading achievement.
Facility Specifications and Production Capacity
The Kamoa-Kakula smelter is designed as a direct-to-blister copper processing facility with an annual nameplate capacity of 500,000 tonnes of 99.7%-pure copper anodes, making it Africa’s largest copper smelter. The facility underwent comprehensive commissioning, with the furnace successfully reaching and maintaining its operating temperature of 1,250 degrees centigrade for a five-day period prior to initial concentrate feed. Supporting infrastructure including the boiler, steam systems, acid processing circuit, and concentrate dryer were all completed according to schedule during the heat-up phase.
For 2026, copper production is estimated between 380,000 and 420,000 tonnes, representing approximately 80% of the smelter’s total designed capacity as ramp-up activities continue. The facility is expected to reach steady-state operations by year-end 2026. This measured approach to ramping up operations allows for system optimization and operational refinement.
Sales and Inventory Management Strategy
An important aspect of the 2026 operational strategy involves inventory management. Prior to concentrate introduction, the facility held approximately 37,000 tonnes of copper within stockpiled concentrate. Management expects this figure to decrease to roughly 17,000 tonnes by the end of 2026 as smelting operations accelerate. This destocking initiative is particularly significant given current market conditions, as copper sales in 2026 are projected to exceed production by approximately 20,000 tonnes, predominantly during the first half of the year. This approach allows the company to capitalize on elevated copper prices while managing its inventory position.
Product Diversification and By-Product Revenue
Beyond copper anode production, the smelter simultaneously produced its initial batch of sulphuric acid as a by-product. At steady-state operations, the facility is anticipated to generate up to 700,000 tonnes annually of high-strength sulphuric acid, which will be marketed locally. The demand for sulphuric acid remains substantial throughout the Central African Copperbelt, particularly following Zambia’s implementation of an export ban on acid in September 2025. Recent spot market prices in Kolwezi have reached as high as $700 per tonne. The company has already completed its initial acid sale transaction, with first deliveries expected imminently.
Infrastructure and Power Solutions
A 60-megawatt uninterruptible power supply facility was installed before the first concentrate feed to protect the smelter from grid voltage fluctuations in the local DRC electrical infrastructure. Additionally, construction is advancing on a 60-megawatt solar photovoltaic installation with battery storage capabilities, projected to become Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest facility of its type. This solar infrastructure is scheduled for operational status in the second quarter of 2026 and will provide continuous 24-hour power capacity alongside existing 180-megawatt diesel-powered backup generation.
Mining Operations Progress
Concurrent with smelter development, dewatering activities at the Kakula Mine’s Stage Two phase have been completed. Repositioned high-capacity submersible pumps successfully reduced water levels by 19 metres during November and December. The eastern side of the mine commenced selective mining operations ahead of schedule in late December 2025. On the western side, dewatering has enabled access to higher-grade ore zones, with head grades expected to increase from 3.5% copper in January to approximately 4.0% copper by quarter-end 2026. Stage Three dewatering is anticipated to continue into the second quarter of 2026 without impacting the critical path for mining operations, as 5,600 litres per second of pumping capacity is currently installed and operational.
Ivanhoe Mines Fires Up Africa’s Largest Copper Smelter as Kamoa-Kakula Delivers First Copper Anodes in the DRC
On December 29, 2025, Ivanhoe Mines produced the first batch of copper anodes at its newly built Kamoa-Kakula smelter in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, capping a five-week furnace heat-up and launching a facility expected to turn out between 380,000 and 420,000 tonnes of copper next year on its way to a nameplate 500,000-tonne capacity.
Barely a decade after breaking ground on the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex, the Canadian miner has moved downstream into copper processing with what the company and analysts say is now the largest copper smelter on the African continent. Developed at a cost of $1.1 billion and completed after roughly 18 million hours of work with only one lost-time injury, the direct-to-blister plant is designed to produce 99.7%-pure copper anodes, giving Ivanhoe a domestic outlet for ore that until now was shipped out as concentrate.
The smelter’s commissioning matters well beyond Ivanhoe’s balance sheet. By converting concentrate into anodes on site, the plant should cut transport costs, free up rail capacity in the region, and reduce reliance on third-party refiners in Asia. It also promises to inject new volumes of metal into a tight global market that has been reshaped by electrification and energy-transition spending.
Construction, Commissioning and First Copper
Engineering teams reached and maintained the furnace’s operating temperature of 1,250°C for five days before the first concentrate was introduced. Ivanhoe then tapped the inaugural molten metal, pouring it into anode moulds on December 29. The milestone came one week after initial concentrate feed and follows the installation of ancillary systems—boilers, steam piping, acid circuit, and concentrate dryer—that came online during the heat-up phase.
Production Outlook for 2026
Management forecasts that the smelter will supply 380,000 to 420,000 tonnes of copper in 2026, or roughly 80% of full capacity, while crews optimize equipment and operating procedures, according to Ivanhoe statements reported by Mining.com. Steady-state operations are targeted for late 2026, at which point the plant is expected to reach its 500,000-tonne design rate confirmed by Nasdaq. Once fully ramped up, the facility will lift Kamoa-Kakula into the ranks of the world’s top five copper producing complexes.
Africa’s Largest Copper Smelter
Industry watchers have highlighted the project’s scale. The start-up “marks the official launch of Africa’s largest copper smelter,” Copperbelt Katanga Mining reported, noting that the complex is the first of its size to be built in the Central African Copperbelt in more than two decades.
Inventory and Sales Strategy
Ahead of start-up, Ivanhoe stockpiled about 37,000 tonnes of contained copper in concentrate. With the smelter now running, management plans to draw down inventories to roughly 17,000 tonnes by the end of 2026, allowing the company to sell an estimated 20,000 tonnes more copper than it produces next year, particularly in the first half, when analysts expect prices to stay elevated.
By-Products and Local Demand
The direct-to-blister flowsheet also yields sulphuric acid. The maiden acid batch was produced alongside the first anodes, and annual output is expected to reach 700,000 tonnes at steady state. Local demand is robust, especially after Zambia imposed a sulphuric-acid export ban in September 2025. Spot prices in Kolwezi have climbed as high as $700 per tonne, and Ivanhoe has already concluded its first domestic sales of the reagent critical for leaching oxide ores across the Copperbelt.
Power and Grid Stability
An industrial-scale 60-megawatt uninterruptible power-supply installation came online before the first concentrate feed, shielding the furnace from voltage swings on the DRC grid. Construction is advancing on an additional 60-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant paired with battery storage, slated to be Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest when it enters service in the second quarter of 2026. The renewable output will operate in tandem with 180 megawatts of diesel-fired backup generation, giving Ivanhoe a diversified power stack as it moves toward full smelter utilization.
Progress Underground
While the smelter grabbed headlines, mine development continued. Dewatering at Kakula Mine’s Stage Two cut water levels by 19 metres in November and December, letting crews start selective mining on the eastern limb ahead of schedule. On the western front, lower water tables have opened access to higher-grade zones, and head grades are projected to rise from 3.5% copper in January to about 4.0% by the end of the first quarter. A third dewatering stage will run through the second quarter of 2026, but the company expects no impact on its critical mining path thanks to 5,600 litres-per-second pumping capacity.
Health and Safety Performance
Ivanhoe credits one lost-time injury in 18 million hours to safety protocols instituted during construction, translating to a lost-time injury frequency rate of 0.054 per million hours—well below industry averages. Executives say the same culture is being carried over into operations as the plant ramps up.
Economic and Market Implications
The Kamoa-Kakula smelter arrives at a time when the copper market is bracing for chronic deficits driven by renewable energy deployment, data-center expansion, and grid upgrades. By processing concentrate on site, Ivanhoe eliminates a logistical chokepoint: the rail corridor through southern Africa to ports serving Asian smelters. That move not only cuts concentrate transport costs and emissions but also frees up rolling stock for other exporters in the region.
For the DRC, the facility adds value to a raw-material supply chain historically dominated by exports of semi-processed ore. Local acid output can lower input costs for nearby oxide projects, enhancing competitiveness across the Copperbelt. At full capacity, Kamoa-Kakula’s anodes will represent roughly 2% of current global refined-copper supply, a non-trivial volume that could temper price volatility during a ramp-up phase in global clean-energy investment.
Looking Ahead
With the first pour behind it, Ivanhoe’s next milestones include debugging the acid circuit, synchronizing the solar-battery system, and achieving stable furnace throughput ahead of a planned capacity drive in the second half of 2026. Should the company hit its targets, the Kamoa-Kakula complex will not only rank among the world’s largest copper mines but also host one of its most productive smelters—an integrated model that could set a template for future African copper projects seeking to capture more value inside the continent.
Sources
- https://www.mining.com/ivanhoe-mines-begins-copper-anode-production-at-new-congo-smelter/
- https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/ivanhoe-mines-announces-first-anode-production-kamoa-kakula-copper-smelter-2026-01-02
- https://copperbeltkatangamining.com/ivanhoe-mines-announces-first-anode-production-from-kamoa-kakula-copper-smelter/
