Ivanhoe Mines begins copper anode production at smelter in Africa

Ivanhoe Mines has announced the archetypal accumulation of copper anodes astatine its Kamoa-Kakula smelter successful Africa.

The direct-to-blister facility, said to beryllium Africa's largest copper smelter, has a capableness of 500,000 tonnes (t) per annum.

The smelter produced the archetypal anodes successful December 2025, astir 5 weeks aft the commencement of its heat-up process and conscionable 1 week aft receiving its archetypal ore feed.

Ivanhoe Mines anticipates that by 2026, income volition surpass accumulation levels arsenic it processes 20,000t of stockpiled copper successful ore into 99.7% axenic copper anodes.

This strategy aims to instrumentality vantage of near-record copper prices.

The ramp-up signifier of the smelter is expected to proceed done 2026 and scope a steady-state accumulation complaint by the extremity of the year.

During this period, Kamoa-Kakula's absorption plans to prioritise processing concentrates produced by its 3 concentrators on-site.

Any surplus volition beryllium treated astatine the Lualaba Copper Smelter adjacent Kolwezi successful the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is estimated that unsold stocks of copper successful ore volition alteration from 37,000t to astir 17,000t passim 2026.

The smelter besides precocious produced its archetypal batch of byproduct sulphuric acid.

With yearly accumulation capableness forecast astatine up to 700,000t of high-strength sulphuric acid, this byproduct is expected to conscionable section demand, peculiarly aft Zambia's export prohibition successful September 2025.

The archetypal merchantability has already been completed, with deliveries forthcoming.

Ivanhoe Mines laminitis and enforcement co-chairman Robert Friedland said: “The archetypal accumulation of copper anodes from our world-class smelter is simply a defining infinitesimal for Kamoa-Kakula.

“This accomplishment is the culmination of a $1.1bn [C$1.51bn] investment, 18 cardinal man-hours of disciplined execution, and an outstanding wellness and information grounds that reflects the professionalism and committedness of everyone involved.”

In presumption of infrastructure developments, Kamoa-Kakula has installed a 60MW uninterruptible powerfulness proviso strategy and expects its star powerfulness tract to beryllium operational by the 2nd 4th of 2026.

Moreover, mining operations astatine Kakula person achieved completion of signifier 2 dewatering and person started selective mining connected the eastbound broadside earlier than planned.

Dewatering connected the occidental broadside has enabled entree to higher-grade ore areas.

"Ivanhoe Mines begins copper anode accumulation astatine smelter successful Africa" was primitively created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

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