Phase 3 of the Ivanhoe Mines' development of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mining Complex will include the addition of a 5 million tonne-per-annum concentrator.

The Phase 3 development will also see the introduction of a direct-to-blister flash smelter with technology from Metso Outotec. The smelter will have a nameplate capacity of 500,000 tonnes per year of approximately 99% pure blister copper.

The concentrator will be placed adjacent to two newly developed mines in the complex, known as Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2.

The company will also be developing initial decline development at Kakula West.

Phase 3 will increase copper production capacity to approximately 600,000 tonnes per year by the December quarter of 2024.

Ivanhoe plans to debottleneck the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators, bringing them to production levels of 9.2 million tonnes of ore per year by the June quarter of 2023. This will increase Kamoa-Kakula's annual copper production to more than 450,000 tonnes.

The Phase 3 expansion will be powered by hydroelectricity, with the Inga II partnership expected to generate an additional 178 megawatts of hydropower. An upgrade project will be completed in the December quarter of 2024.

Ivanhoe contracted THE UPGRADE OF THE Inga II Turbine #5 project with German hydropower company Voith Hydro in April.

Ivanhoe is continuing to negotiate amendments for the copper complex's Phase 2 offtake arrangement. Copper is currently being shipped under existing Phase 1 agreements, Ivanhoe said.

The company plans to complete a prefeasibility study for Phase 3 in the second half of 2022.

Construction has begun on the new box cut excavation at Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2 mines. Decline development at Kakula West will begin in early May.