Zijin’s 2026 Copper Target Under Pressure After Kamoa-Kakula Flooding
Zijin Cuts 2026 Copper Outlook as Kamoa-Kakula Flooding Disrupts Production in DRC
Zijin Mining Group’s 2026 copper production target is under pressure following flooding at the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), adding to concerns over global copper supply.
In its latest half-year report, Zijin said production from Kamoa-Kakula could be reduced by up to 57,000 tonnes this year as the operation continues to recover from seismic activity and flooding that disrupted underground mining.
Zijin holds an attributable interest of just over 44% in the project. The company’s revised outlook follows a reduction in Kamoa-Kakula’s 2026 production guidance to between 290,000 and 330,000 tonnes, down from an earlier forecast of 380,000 to 420,000 tonnes.
The disruption is putting additional pressure on Zijin’s overall target of producing 1.2 million tonnes of mined copper in 2026.
Global copper supply concerns
The production setback comes as copper prices remain near record levels, having recently traded above $14,000 per tonne.
Expectations of rising demand from electrification, renewable energy infrastructure and artificial intelligence-related data centres are increasing pressure on global supply.
Kamoa-Kakula is one of the world’s major high-grade copper operations, making the production disruption significant for both Zijin and the wider copper market.
Despite the setback, the long-term outlook for the complex remains strong. An updated mine plan indicates that Kamoa-Kakula could produce more than 500,000 tonnes of copper annually from 2028 as production expands and operations stabilise.
The latest disruption highlights the vulnerability of global copper supply to operational and geological challenges at major mines, at a time when demand for the metal continues to accelerate.
