Kamoa Copper has exported the first batch of copper concentrate from the Kamoa-Kakula project, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The partners in the joint venture company, Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group, Crystal River and the DRC government, said in a statement on July 19 that the first copper concentrate exports marked a significant milestone in the ongoing ramp-up to 3.8-million tonnes a year of production.
Kamoa-Kakula’s copper concentrate for export is being transported in bags, with each bag containing about 2 t of concentrate and, once cleared by customs, will make its way to the Durban port in South Africa.
Kamoa Copper started producing copper ahead of schedule on May 25 and made its first delivery of bulk concentrates to the nearby Lualaba copper smelter.
Deliveries to the smelter has since been occurring daily.
The first truckloads of blister copper ingots, containing about 99% copper, are scheduled to be exported from Lualaba to international markets this week.
The mine is on track to produce between 80 000 t and 95 000 t of contained copper in concentrate this year.
Ivanhoe Mines president and CFO Marna Cloete notes that as Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1 concentrator plant ramps up toward steady-state production, the mine is producing more concentrate than the Lualaba copper smelter can process.
As such, Kamoa-Kakula has begun exporting its ultra-high-grade copper concentrates to international smelters, "converting the rich copper resources hidden beneath the Kalahari sands into long-lasting and meaningful benefits for all Congolese people”.
The project will continue to ramp up to 7.6-million tonnes a year by the third quarter of 2022.