Kipushi Mine Achieves Record Monthly Zinc Production in May, On Track to Rank Among World’s Top Four Zinc Mines in 2026
On June 4th, Ivanhoe Mines announced that the Kipushi Mine produced a record 25,677 tonnes of zinc in concentrate in May, up 12% from the previous record set in January 2026. During the month, Kipushi mined and hoisted 85,811 tonnes of ore. As of the end of May, surface high-grade run-of-mine stockpiles stood at approximately 12,000 tonnes, grading around 37% zinc, while lower-grade stockpiles totalled approximately 254,000 tonnes at an average grade of around 22% zinc. Kipushi’s year-to-date zinc production reached approximately 110,000 tonnes, putting the mine on track to meet its 2026 production guidance of 240,000–290,000 tonnes and rank among the world’s four largest zinc mines. Construction of Kipushi’s second tailings storage facility was more than 90% complete, with the first deposition of tailings expected in October 2026.