Kamoa-Kakula Copper Output Rises 19% in Q3 as Ivanhoe Targets Year-End Recovery
Kamoa-Kakula Produces 76,401 Tonnes of Copper in Q3 2026 as Full-Year Target Tightens
Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) produced 76,401 tonnes of copper in saleable products in the third quarter of 2026, a 19% increase from the previous quarter as mining rates and processing performance improved.
The output, reported for the July-to-September period, was up from 64,328 tonnes in the second quarter.
However, Ivanhoe expects the operation to finish the year towards the lower end of its 2026 production guidance of 290,000 to 310,000 tonnes.
Kamoa-Kakula produced 212,146 tonnes of copper during the first nine months of the year, meaning it must deliver approximately 77,854 tonnes in the fourth quarter to reach the bottom of its annual target range.
Mining rates and recovery improve
The quarterly recovery reflected stronger mining performance at the Kamoa and Kansoko areas, where extraction rates increased by 30% to more than 700,000 tonnes of ore per month.
The complex’s three concentrators processed a combined 3.49 million tonnes of ore during the quarter, producing 68,188 tonnes of copper in concentrate.
The average copper grade of ore processed across the operation was 2.22%, compared with 2.39% in the second quarter.
Overall copper recovery across the concentrators reached 87.6%, while recovery at the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators reached a record 88.9% following modifications completed under the company’s Project 95 initiative.
Ivanhoe said additional mining areas and improvements to underground access were supporting the increase in extraction rates.
Breakdown of saleable copper production
The third-quarter total of 76,401 tonnes comprised 61,506 tonnes of copper anodes produced by the on-site smelter, 2,347 tonnes of blister copper processed at the nearby Lualaba Copper Smelter, 5,645 tonnes of copper in slag concentrate and 6,904 tonnes of high-grade copper fines designated for sale.
The copper fines came from previously accumulated material that could not be processed through the smelter.
Ivanhoe said the material had been assessed and prepared for sale to third parties, with further sales anticipated in the fourth quarter.
At the end of September, the complex held approximately 43,000 tonnes of unsold copper, compared with 40,000 tonnes at the beginning of the quarter.
Smelter delivers record sulphuric acid output
Kamoa-Kakula’s smelter produced a record 118,638 tonnes of sulphuric acid during the third quarter, with average realised contract prices of approximately US$900 per tonne.
The acid is sold to copper and cobalt producers in the Congolese Copperbelt for use in leaching operations, making it an important by-product revenue stream for Ivanhoe while serving as a key input for neighbouring mines.
The smelter, which has a nominal capacity of 500,000 tonnes per year, operated at approximately 60% of capacity during the quarter. Ivanhoe expected sulphuric acid prices to remain elevated in the fourth quarter.
Solar power reduces diesel consumption
The operation’s 60-megawatt hybrid solar power facility, supported by battery storage, reached full capacity on September 23.
Ivanhoe reported that diesel consumption by on-site generators fell by approximately 40% in September compared with July.
The company also signed power purchase agreements with Green World Energie and Lualaba Solar Company to increase the operation’s hybrid solar capacity to 120 MW within 18 months.
The expansion is intended to reduce reliance on diesel generation and strengthen the mine’s electricity supply.
Kipushi zinc production reaches quarterly record
Elsewhere in Ivanhoe’s DRC operations, the Kipushi zinc mine produced a record 77,147 tonnes of zinc in concentrate during the third quarter, an increase of 10% from the previous quarter.
The mine, operated in partnership with state-owned Gécamines, was tracking towards the upper end of its 2026 production guidance of 240,000 to 290,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate.
Ivanhoe was scheduled to publish its third-quarter financial results on November 3, 2026.
The latest production figures indicate a recovery in Kamoa-Kakula’s operating performance, although the complex will need to sustain or improve its third-quarter output to meet the lower end of its annual copper production target.
