Ivanhoe Mines has announced the initial production of copper anodes at its Kamoa-Kakula smelter in Africa.
The direct-to-blister facility, said to be Africa’s largest copper smelter, has a capacity of 500,000 tonnes (t) per annum.
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The smelter produced the first anodes in December 2025, approximately five weeks after the start of its heat-up process and just one week after receiving its first concentrate feed.
Ivanhoe Mines anticipates that by 2026, sales will surpass production levels as it processes 20,000t of stockpiled copper in concentrate into 99.7% pure copper anodes.
This strategy aims to take advantage of near-record copper prices.
The ramp-up phase of the smelter is expected to continue through 2026 and reach a steady-state production rate by the end of the year.
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By GlobalDataDuring this period, Kamoa-Kakula’s management plans to prioritise processing concentrates produced by its three concentrators on-site.
Any surplus will be treated at the Lualaba Copper Smelter near Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is estimated that unsold stocks of copper in concentrate will decrease from 37,000t to around 17,000t throughout 2026.
The smelter also recently produced its first batch of byproduct sulphuric acid.
With annual production capacity forecast at up to 700,000t of high-strength sulphuric acid, this byproduct is expected to meet local demand, particularly after Zambia’s export ban in September 2025.
The first sale has already been completed, with deliveries forthcoming.
Ivanhoe Mines founder and executive co-chairman Robert Friedland said: “The first production of copper anodes from our world-class smelter is a defining moment for Kamoa-Kakula.
“This achievement is the culmination of a $1.1bn [C$1.51bn] investment, 18 million man-hours of disciplined execution, and an outstanding health and safety record that reflects the professionalism and commitment of everyone involved.”
In terms of infrastructure developments, Kamoa-Kakula has installed a 60MW uninterruptible power supply system and expects its solar power site to be operational by the second quarter of 2026.
Moreover, mining operations at Kakula have achieved completion of stage two dewatering and have started selective mining on the eastern side earlier than planned.
Dewatering on the western side has enabled access to higher-grade ore areas.
