DRC to Surpass Peru as World’s Second Largest Copper Producer by 2026
By 2026-2027, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should become the world’s second largest copper producer, according to a report published on May 30, 2023 by the firm Wood Mackenzie.
The report specifies that with this increase in production, the DRC will thus overtake Peru, after having almost equaled it last year.
For experts, the potential that the DRC has could help it rise to the highest rank of world copper producers.
“In the years to come, the DR Congo will overtake Peru […]. DR Congo now has high-grade ore mines, larger than those in Chile and Peru,” said Ruben Arrieta, an official with the firm quoted by Reuters.
Official statistics show that Peru produced 2.44 million tons of copper in 2022, an increase of around 5% compared to 2021.
As for the DRC, it recorded better progress year-on-year, with an increase of 31% to 2.36 million tonnes of copper. While Peru is likely to remain ahead this year, with copper production expected at 2.8 million tonnes, experts say the country will face a lack of new projects over the next few years, unlike the DRC.
It should also be remembered that in the DRC, several mines have entered production in recent years, including the Kamoa-Kakula project, considered to be the future second largest copper mine in the world.
