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Operations & Projects

Our portfolio of tier-one assets provides exposure to copper, platinum group, zinc and other metals essential for the world’s transition to clean energy and a low-carbon economy. Our stakeholders benefit from long-life projects with low costs, low-capital intensity and leading ESG programs.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kipushi Zinc Mine

Ownership: Ivanhoe Mines 64%
Gécamines 38%

The Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver-lead mine in the DRC is the world's highest-grade zinc mine, and is on track to return to production in Q3 2024. Kipushi is expected produce approximately 270,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate upon recommencement of production, which will place it among the world's largest zinc producers. The mine is adjacent to the town of Kipushi in the DRC approximately 30 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital of Lubumbashi. It is a high-grade, underground zinc-copper project in the Central African Copperbelt which mined approximately 60 million tonnes grading 11% zinc and 7% copper between 1924 and 1993. In addition to producing copper and zinc, the mine produced 12,673 tonnes of lead and approximately 278 tonnes of germanium between 1956 and 1978. The mine had been managed on a care and maintenance basis since 1993. In late 2022, Ivanhoe and its partner Gécamines finalized an agreement to return Kipushi to production.

Download 2022 Feasibility Study

36.4% zinc

Average grade over the first five years of production

800kt

Capacity per-annum of the new zinc concentrator

270kt

Production of zinc contained in concentrate over the first 5 yrs of operation

Underground mine development around Kipushi’s Big Zinc orebody is advancing ahead of schedule. Stope perimeter drives are being developed on the 1,245m, 1,260m, 1,290m and 1,320m levels, with stope access development at the 1,335-metre level advancing well. Waste rock and low-grade mineralized rock from the advancement of the perimeter and access drives are being hoisted to the surface through Shaft 5 and stockpiled. Shaft 5 is planned to be the main production shaft once operations commence, with a maximum hoisting capacity of up to 1.8 Mtpa. The bottom of Shaft 5 provides primary access to the lower levels of the mine, including the Big Zinc orebody, along the 1,150-metre haulage level.

Stoping of the Big Zinc orebody is expected to commence in early 2024, to build a high-grade ore stockpile ahead of processing plant commissioning in Q3 2024. Powered by renewable hydro-generated electricity, Kipushi is set to be among one of the world’s lowest Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emitters per tonne of zinc metal produced and will be the world’s highest-grade major zinc mine, with an average grade of 36.4% zinc over the first five years of production.

Shaft 5

Shaft 5 is planned to be the main production shaft once operations commence, with a maximum hoisting capacity of up to 1.8 Mtpa. The bottom of Shaft 5 provides primary access to the lower levels of the mine, including the Big Zinc orebody, along the 1,150-metre haulage level.

Mining Method

Cemented rock fill will be utilized to backfill open stopes with tailings from the surface. Ore is crushed underground, conveyed to the base of the P5 shaft, hoisted to the surface and conveyed to the nearby run-of-mine stockpile.

Tailings Management

The re-establishment of operations at Kipushi requires the construction of a new tailings storage facility. The ultra-high grade nature of the ‘Big Zinc’ orebody, means that only ~65% of the ore processed is deposited as tailings. This is one of the lowest rates of tailings generation for a base metal mining operation in the world.

Technical Reports

View document library
Kipushi 2022 Feasibility Study, February 2022
Kipushi 2019 Mineral Resource Update
Kipushi 2017 Pre-Feasibility Study, January 2018
Kipushi Project – Preliminary Economic Assessment NI 43-101 Technical Report, May 2016
Kipushi Project – Mineral Resource Estimate NI 43-101 Technical Report, January 2016