Ivanhoe Mines said its Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo will start receiving 50 megawatts (MW) of power from the Inga II hydropower plant in November. The delivery marks a key step toward securing a stable energy supply for one of the world’s largest copper operations.
The energy will come from Turbine 5 at Inga II, which has a capacity of 178 MW and has been under rehabilitation since 2022 by Ivanhoe Mines Energy, a subsidiary of the company. Power deliveries will be phased: 50 MW in November 2025, 100 MW in the first quarter of 2026 and 150 MW in the first half of 2027, as grid upgrades are completed.
According to Ivanhoe’s third-quarter 2025 report, the mechanical and electrical refurbishment of Turbine 5 was completed during the quarter, marking a major milestone in the company’s energy investment program. The mine will receive increasing power volumes as ongoing grid reinforcement work progresses at the Inga (SCI) and Kolwezi (SCK) substations. These upgrades include installing resistors, harmonic filters and a static compensator to stabilize voltage and improve power quality to Kamoa-Kakula.
The modernization and grid stabilization program, launched in late 2024, is backed by $200 million in financing from Ivanhoe Mines and its joint-venture partner Zijin Mining.
By 2027, the Kamoa-Kakula complex could become self-sufficient in power, eliminating reliance on imported electricity from Zambia and Mozambique. This will be achieved through the combination of Inga II supply and two solar power plants under construction by CrossBoundary Energy DRC and Green World Energie SARL, each designed to deliver 30 MW.
The solar projects were 42 percent and 46 percent complete, respectively, as of the end of the third quarter, with commercial operations now expected in the second quarter of 2026, slightly ahead of schedule. Ivanhoe said long-lead equipment, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), inverters and mounting structures, has already been shipped and unloaded on site.
Timothée Manoke
