Modern Mining January 2022

One of the major milestones in the history of the project was the production of first copper con- centrate on May 25, 2021, several months ahead of schedule. On that date, copper ore with grades between 5% and 6% was being conveyed directly from Kamoa’s underground mining operations to the run-of-mine stockpile and the concentrator plant. “Based on extensive test work, the concentrator is expected to produce a high grade, clean concen- trate grading of approximately 57% copper, with extremely low arsenic levels,” says Farren. Commenting on further project milestones, CFO Rochelle de Villiers highlights Kamoa Copper’s agreement with the Lualaba Copper Smelter on May 31, 2021. Kamoa Copper signed a 10-year agreement with the Lualaba Copper Smelter, located outside the town of Kolwezi, to produce 99% blister copper from a portion of the copper concentrates produced at the Kakula concentrator. “Kamoa Copper delivered its first copper concen- trates to the smelter on June 1, 2021. The smelter, which began operations in early 2020, will treat up to 150 000 wet metric tonnes per annum of Kamoa’s copper concentrate production,” says De Villiers. The Lualaba Copper Smelter agreement was followed by the signing of the Phase 1 offtake agree- ments on June 9, 2021. Kamoa Copper has signed copper concentrate and blister copper offtake agree- ments for 100% of its Phase 1 copper output, which is projected to be approximately 200 000 tonnes per annum of contained copper. Metals trader and investor CITIC Metal (part of the

from structural steel erection and installation of platework, equipment and piping (SMPP) to electri- cal, control and instrumentation (EC&I) installation. Most areas have been handed over from the SMPP contractor to the EC&I contractor. All of the Phase 2 surface piping has been installed. Installation of cable racking is nearing completion and cable pull- ing and instrument installation is well advanced,” says Farren. Key milestones Since last year, several key milestones have been achieved. On April 26, 2021, Kamoa Copper secured additional clean, renewable hydroelectric power fol- lowing sister company Ivanhoe Mines Energy DRC’s signing of a second public-private partnership with La Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL) to upgrade Turbine 5 at the existing Inga II hydropower facility on the Congo River. Turbine 5 is one of four remain- ing turbines (eight in total) that is awaiting upgrade. Once upgraded, it is estimated to produce 162 MW of renewable hydropower. “The upgrading of six new turbines at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant, the first public- private partnership between Ivanhoe Mines Energy DRC and SNEL, is delivering, since August 2021, approximately 78 MW of electricity to the national electrical grid, providing power for Kamoa Copper’s initial two phases of production,” explains Farren. Kamoa Copper will be provided with priority access to a combined 240 MW of renewable energy from the refurbished turbines at the Mwadingusha and Inga II hydropower plants.

Construction of Phase 2 Concentrator Plant is nearing completion.

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January 2022  MODERN MINING  27