The Kipushi zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo nearly quadrupled output in 2025, producing 203,168 tonnes of concentrate, up from 50,307 tonnes in 2024, Ivanhoe Mines said in its annual operating results published on Jan. 15, 2026. The mine is co-owned by Ivanhoe Mines (62%) and state miner Gécamines (38%).

The result was in line with Ivanhoe’s target of 180,000 to 240,000 tonnes.

The rise was driven by engineering work launched in September 2024 to boost throughput at the Kipushi concentrator by 20%. The optimisation programme was completed in early August 2025, helping lift output sharply in the second half of the year.

The mine delivered 57,200 tonnes in the third quarter and 61,444 tonnes in the fourth quarter, well above the 42,736 tonnes and 41,788 tonnes produced in the first and second quarters of 2025, respectively. Ivanhoe said recent output levels would rank Kipushi as the world’s fifth-largest zinc mine.

For 2026, Ivanhoe targets output of 240,000 to 290,000 tonnes. A key challenge will be maintaining stable operations, as the site faces an unreliable power supply from the Congolese grid. To mitigate the risk, the company said it expanded backup generator capacity in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Emiliano Tossou, with Ecofin Agency