The electricity demand for the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in Lualaba province, operated by Kamoa Copper SA, is projected to rise significantly in the coming years. According to projections published by its developer Ivanhoe Mines, total demand will reach 347 MW by December 2028, up from 208 MW in December 2025.

The figures come from an internal projection table included in a Nov. 25 statement announcing the commissioning of the rehabilitated turbine No. 5 at the Inga II dam. They differ from the forecasts Ivanhoe Mines presented last April.

The site began receiving an initial 50 MW from the dam, which has an installed capacity of 178 MW, on Nov. 10, the statement said. This power supply will gradually increase to 100 MW in the first quarter of 2026 and to around 150 MW in 2027 as optimizations to the Inga-Kolwezi grid are completed.

A $450 million investment is expected to bring the national utility Snel's contribution to the complex's power supply to 210 MW by the end of 2027. In addition to this capacity, Kamoa Copper SA plans to maintain 100 MW of electricity imports, supplemented by 60 MW from two on-site solar projects under development. The company said this gives it a supply of clean energy that exceeds its needs, cementing its status as a copper producer with one of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in the industry.

The statement did not explain the projections in detail. But the numbers indicate the site is not expected to reach its high-production scenario before 2028. According to Ivanhoe Mines documentation, that scenario corresponds to an energy demand exceeding 300 MW, involving the simultaneous operation of three concentrators, the full ramp-up of the electric smelter, and the metallurgical optimization of "Project 95." This would yield an annual production of nearly 550,000 to 600,000 tons of copper concentrate.

This implies that the electric smelter, commissioned on Nov. 21 after several delays, will only operate at its rated capacity of 500,000 tons of concentrate per year as 2028 approaches.

Following seismic activity in the Kakula underground mine, production forecasts and the smelter ramp-up schedule have been withdrawn pending a re-evaluation. Kamoa Copper SA has since lowered its 2025 production forecast to between 370,000 and 420,000 tons, down from an initial range of 520,000 to 580,000 tons. Forecasts for future years and a definitive smelter ramp-up schedule are still pending.

The commissioning of the Kamoa-Kakula smelter, described as the largest and most modern in Africa, is a strategic milestone for the Congolese economy. It allows the country to transition from exporting concentrate to exporting copper metal, increasing the value captured locally, fiscal revenues, industrial development, and the DRC's influence in the global copper supply chain.

Pierre Mukoko