A century-old mine in the DRC is being given a new lease on life more than three decades after it was put on care and maintenance.

Mining Weekly reports that the relaunched Kipushi mine in the Haut-Katanga province has produced its first zinc concentrate in June, ahead of schedule.

The mine is majority owned by mining giant Ivanhoe, with the state-owned Gécamines acquiring an increasing percentage of  share capital and voting rights over time.

According to Ivanhoe, the mine is the world’s highest-grade zinc mine and is expected produce about 270 000 tons of zinc concentrate annually .

‘With the construction and first concentrate milestones delivered substantially ahead of schedule, Kipushi will be one of the world’s leading producers of high-grade, low-emissions zinc and associated metals,’ says Ivanhoe executive co-chairperson Robert Friedland.

The associated metals include copper, germanium, silver and lead.

9 July 2024
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