During the previous year, copper production by the DRC totalled around 3.3 million metric tons, recording a year-on-year growth of 12.6%.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): According to projections, the African copper sector is expected to develop significantly this year due to investments in new production mines and the renovation of existing facilities, mostly in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the continent's two biggest producers.
The DRC produced over 3.3 million metric tons of copper last year, a 12.6% increase from the previous year. In 2024, the nation produced 11% of the world's copper.
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The Phase Three Expansion of Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula project, which achieved record production in 2024, was the primary driver of the production growth. In order to increase production to 240,000 tons in 2025 and 250,000 tons in 2026, the business has set up $1.67 billion. The business has also set aside $1.67 billion to expand the Kipushi Mine.
Additionally, in an effort to increase copper production to 3 million tons annually by 2031, the Zambian government is currently redistributing more than 1,000 high-potential mining licenses to investors. To expedite approvals, the nation has already introduced a new digital mining licensing framework.
Africa is seeing an increase in mineral exploration activity, which might increase the continent's copper output.
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