Wedoany.com Report-Dec.2, Ivanhoe Mines has officially commissioned its new 500,000-tonne-per-annum copper smelter at the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The facility, described as the largest and most environmentally advanced copper smelter in Africa, was formally started on November 21, 2025, during an opening ceremony attended by local community leaders and Ivanhoe founder Robert Friedland.

Kamoa-Kakula's 500,000-tonnes-per-annum direct-to-blister copper smelter commenced the heat-up on November 21, 2025.

Robert Friedland stated during the event: "The ceremony today is not just a ritual; it is the passing of a torch representing transformative change at Kamoa-Kakula …From a site where we first discovered high-grade copper in 2008, we now harness a fire blessed by tradition to power a facility that will set a new global standard for copper smelting."

First concentrate feed is scheduled before the end of 2025, enabling production of 99.7 percent pure blister copper anodes to begin. The smelter will primarily process output from Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1, 2, and 3 concentrators. Any surplus concentrate will be sent to the nearby Lualaba smelter in Kolwezi for treatment.

At the time of commissioning, approximately 37,000 tonnes of copper concentrate were stockpiled on site. As the smelter reaches full operation through 2026, inventory is expected to decrease to around 17,000 tonnes.

Operating at full capacity, the facility will be Africa's largest copper smelter. It incorporates direct-to-blister flash smelting technology supplied by Metso Outotec and is powered by renewable hydroelectricity from the Inga II dam, supporting lower-emission copper production.

The smelter's completion marks a major milestone for the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture, enhancing on-site value addition and reducing reliance on offshore processing. The project continues to advance Ivanhoe Mines' position as a leading producer of high-grade copper from one of the world’s largest and highest-grade copper discoveries. Shares of Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) remained steady at approximately C$14.70, reflecting a market capitalisation of about C$20.8 billion.