Mining

Gecamines and Ivanhoe Revive DRC’s Biggest Zinc Mine

Gecamines and Ivanhoe Revive DRC’s Biggest Zinc Mine
Thursday, 04 July 2024 18:23

First commissioned in 1924, the Kipushi mine has been on care and maintenance since 1993. Gécamines and Canada's Ivanhoe Mines announced plans to restart the mine in 2022, focusing on a major zinc deposit.

On July 2, Ivanhoe Mines confirmed the restart of the Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine, which it jointly owns with Gécamines in the DRC. This mine, inactive for 31 years, is expected to produce between 100,000 and 140,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate by 2024. 

During the first five years, annual zinc production is projected to reach 278,000 tonnes, making Kipushi the world's fourth-largest zinc mine. In 2023, the DRC officially exported 11,321 tonnes of zinc metal. Agreements have already been signed to sell Kipushi's zinc concentrate to Citic Metal Limited of Hong Kong and Trafigura Asia Trading of Singapore.

"It's not just the high zinc grades that make Kipushi extraordinary. Although only the Big Zinc deposit has been validated so far, the mine shows great potential for other essential metals," said Guy-Robert Lukama Nkunzi, President of Gécamines.

The DRC has increased its contribution to global copper and germanium production in recent years. From 2021 to 2023, the country moved from the 4th to the 2nd largest global producer and launched a hydrometallurgical plant in 2023 to secure up to 30% of the world's germanium supply.

The Kipushi mine, originally producing copper, is expected to deliver an average of 240,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate annually over a 14-year mine life, according to the 2022 feasibility study. Under an agreement announced in January 2024, Gécamines' stake in Kipushi will increase from 32% to 38%, to 43% in 2027. Ivanhoe Mines holds the remaining interest in the mine.

Emiliano Tossou

On the same topic
• Didievi gold resources rise to 989,000 oz, up 119%.• Based on Blaffo Guetto deposit, below 1M oz target.• New drilling set for July to expand...
• TDB, TDF, and World Bank launch ASCENT to provide energy to 3 million people• Burn and Ignite Power sign first deals to deploy clean cooking and solar...
Namibia signed an MoU with U.S. firm NANO Nuclear to boost uranium processing. The deal adds the U.S. to Namibia’s talks with China and Russia on...
Hasetins plans to build a 12,000-ton rare earths plant in Nigeria’s Nasarawa State The $400 million investment raises questions over project...
Most Read
01

• Maritime sector faces renewed risks amid military tensions in the Middle East• Blockade fears at S...

Israel-Iran conflict raises new threats for global shipping and oil trade
02

Lion Group to explore and exploit gold, copper, and manganese in Algeria Malaysian firm plans...

Algeria, Lion Group sign mining and metals investment deal
03

Kenya tops African entries in 2025 IMD ranking at 56th globally. Botswana, Ghana, South Afric...

Six African Countries Rank Among Top Economies in 2025
04

Ucamwal plans three new funds in Côte d’Ivoire, including Halal and women-focused options Two...

United Capital to launch Islamic and women-focused funds in Côte d’Ivoire
05

• FAO and WFP list Sudan, Nigeria, DR Congo, and others as hunger hotspots through Oct. 2025• Armed ...

UN sounds alarm on rising food insecurity in eight African countries
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

Benjamin FLAUX
bf@agenceecofin.com 
Téls: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.