• Kamoa-Kakula to receive 50 MW from Inga II dam starting November

• Full 178 MW rollout by 2027 as power grid upgrades progress

• Site to reach energy independence via hydro and solar by mid-2027
  

Ivanhoe Mines announced that its Kamoa-Kakula copper complex will begin receiving an initial tranche of 50 megawatts (MW) of power from the Inga II hydroelectric dam in November. The information was disclosed in the company’s third-quarter 2025 financial report, released on October 29.

This power will be supplied by Inga II's Turbine 5, which has a capacity of 178 MW and has been undergoing modernization since 2022 by Ivanhoe Mines Energy, a subsidiary of the group, to bolster the copper complex’s electrical supply. The power delivery will be phased: 50 MW starting this November, 100 MW in the first quarter of 2026, and a final 150 MW in the first half of 2027, coinciding with the completion of network upgrades.

According to Ivanhoe Mines, the mechanical and electrical refurbishment of the turbine was completed during the third quarter of 2025, marking a key milestone in the group’s energy investment program. The mining complex will gradually receive the power as work continues to reinforce the supply network, particularly at the Inga (SCI) and Kolwezi (SCK) substations. These essential upgrades include installing resistors, harmonic filters, and a static compensator, all designed to stabilize voltage and improve the quality of electricity delivery to Kamoa-Kakula.

The modernization and stabilization program for the Congolese power grid, launched in late 2024, is backed by $200 million in financing mobilized by Ivanhoe Mines and its majority shareholder, Zijin Mining.

Beginning in 2027, Kamoa-Kakula is projected to become independent of electricity imports from Zambia and Mozambique. This self-sufficiency will be achieved by combining power from Inga II with two solar power plants currently under construction, being developed by CrossBoundary Energy DRC and Green World Energie SARL, which will each supply 30 MW to the complex.

The report noted that the two solar projects are running ahead of schedule, with execution rates of 42% and 46%, respectively. Their commercial commissioning is now anticipated for the second quarter of 2026, slightly ahead of the initial target of late July. Initial batches of long-lead equipment, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), inverters, and mounting structures, have already been shipped and offloaded at the site, Ivanhoe Mines reported.

Timothée Manoke