In a bid to position itself as the biggest single source of copper in the world, China’s Zijin Mining Group Co. wants to expand its jointly-owned copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to one million tonnes a year from the current target of 600,000 tonnes.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Chen Jinghe, the company’s chairperson said that Zijin is considering scaling up its production something that would challenge BHP Group’s ageing Escondida mine in Chile.
“Research is being conducted and we are making plans for one-million tons,” said Jinghe. The Congo project is a collaborative venture with Ivanhoe Mines, owned by mining billionaire Robert Friedland.
Kamoa-Kakula is one of the few large-scale, high-grade mines to begin production in the past decade, coinciding with the rising demand for copper driven by green industries. The facility is also central to Zijin’s goal of becoming one of the top three global copper producers.
However, Jinghe did not provide additional details about the expansion, noting that the project still needs to “improve investment control and reduce costs.” He also highlighted challenges related to power supply, high logistics costs, and transportation bottlenecks.
Zijin and Ivanhoe each own 39.6% of Kamoa-Kakula, while the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo holds a 20% stake. Additionally, Zijin has more than a 10% ownership in Ivanhoe.
“We are currently carrying out an updated life-of-mine engineering study on the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex,” Ivanhoe Mines said via email. “Decisions regarding the timing and investment for any future expansions, including the proposed Phase 4, will be based on the findings of this new study, expected in Q1 2025.”
The mine produced nearly 400,000 tonnes last year, according to Ivanhoe’s report last month, and is currently in the third phase of ramping up to over 600,000 tonnes annually. Zijin has previously outlined plans for peak production to reach 800,000 tonnes.
By comparison, BHP Group’s long-established Escondida mine produced approximately 1.07 million tonnes in 2023, while Freeport McMoRan’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia produced around 750,000 tonnes last year.