Earthworks start for new 500 000 t/y Kamoa copper smelter

In its endeavours to ramp up copper production and become the third-largest copper producer, diversified miner Ivanhoe Mines has started earthworks on a 500 000 t/y direct-to-blister flash smelter at its Democratic Republic of Congo- (DRC-) based and 39.6%-owned Kamoa-Kakula copper mining complex.

The smelter – with a nameplate capacity to produce 99%-pure blister copper – has been sized to process most of the copper concentrate forecast to be produced by Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 concentrators.