MINERS

Ivanhoe returns Kipushi concentrator to production

Production guidance at previously-mothballed concentrator at 100,000–140,000t zinc

Isabel Naylor
Ivanhoe Mines completed the construction of the Kipushi zinc concentrator ahead of schedule  Credit: Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines completed the construction of the Kipushi zinc concentrator ahead of schedule Credit: Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines has completed the construction of its Kipushi 100-140,000 tpa zinc concentrator ahead of schedule, processing first concentrate on 14 June.

Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kipushi has been inactive since it first operated 100 years ago and was placed on care and maintenance 31 years ago.

"Returning the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium-gallium mine to production alongside our DRC state-owned joint-venture partner Gécamines marks a century after Kipushi's first operations," Ivanhoe Mines' chairman Robert Friedland said.

"The mine will follow Kamoa-Kakula's example of being a leading employer and social driver for the region where we operate while maintaining Ivanhoe's focus on strong community relations and sustainability," he added.

Although Ivanhoe has set output at 100,000–140,000t of zinc in concentrate, it will produce 278,000 tpa of zinc from its mine, over first five years, making Kipushi the fourth-largest zinc mine globally.

The new concentrator received its first feed on May 31st with the first concentrate produced June 14th 2024.  

Off-take agreements for Kipushi's high-grade zinc concentrate have been signed with CITIC Metal of Hong Kong and Trafigura Asia Trading of Singapore. 

CITIC Metal, Trafigura and First Bank DRC of Kinshasa have provided $170 million to finance the facilities of Kipushi, with $50million drawn to date.

 KICO (Kipushi Corporation SA) is 68% owned by Kipushi Holding which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ivanhoe mines. The remaining 32% is owned by Gecamines, the state controlled miner. It was announced January this year that Gecamines will acquire an increasing percentage of the share capital and voting rights overtime.  

 

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.