Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi this week officially reopened the ultrahigh-grade Kipushi zinc/copper/lead/germanium mine, which is a joint venture (JV) between Ivanhoe Mines and DRC State-owned miner Gécamines.

The JV partners completed construction of a new 800 000 t/y concentrator facility in May and produced first concentrate in June. The mine is set to produce between 50 000 t and 70 000 t of zinc-in-concentrate this year and more than 278 000 t of zinc-in-concentrate over the first five years of operation.

A Presidential delegation attended the opening ceremony, led by Tshisekedi and First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi. Also in attendance were the President of the Senate, three Vice Prime Ministers eight National Ministers, the Governor of Haut-Katanga, as well as other national, provincial, and local dignitaries.

The Presidential delegation was greeted by senior management from Ivanhoe, Gécamines and Kipushi Corporation. Tshisekedi conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the official reopening of the mine, and was given a tour of the operations.

“Ivanhoe Mines, together with our governmental partners, the Minister of the Portfolio and Gécamines, have done it again! Not only have we built the largest copper mine in Africa, here in the DRC, we have now built the largest zinc mine in Africa, also here in the DRC.

"The reopening of the Kipushi mine represents not only a milestone for sustainable resource development but also a promise of economic empowerment for our local communities. Today, we are breathing a new life into one of the world's richest deposits, together proving that responsible mining can drive shared prosperity.

“It is therefore an immense honour to welcome the President of the DRC, His Excellency Felix Tshisekedi, and the Mother of the Nation, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, in sharing in this moment in the official reopening of the Kipushi mine," Ivanhoe president Marna Cloete said.

“It is a great honour to take part in the official inauguration of the Kipushi mine and to share this moment in the presence of the highest authority in the DRC. The Kipushi mine was the beating heart of the Kipushi town since operations first began 100 years ago. However, the town’s heart stopped during the 1990s when operations were shuttered.

"Today, its heart has been revived, and the resumption of operations is an opportunity for a new economic paradigm, where the mine will contribute to the prosperity of everyone, and in particular the residents of Kipushi town," commented Gécamines chairperson Guy-Robert Lukama Nkunzi.