On August 27, Ivanhoe Mines announced that the debottlenecking program at the Kipushi Zinc Mine in the DRC was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Initiated in September 2024, the program aimed to boost concentrator throughput by 20%, from 800,000 to 960,000 tonnes per year. Following final commissioning in early August, plant efficiency has improved markedly, with DMS circuit availability rising from ~70% to 96% and recoveries exceeding 90%.

Since completion, Kipushi has set multiple new records: a single-day output of 1,052 tonnes of zinc in concentrate in mid-August (annualized >340,000 tonnes), and 5,545 tonnes produced in the first week post-shutdown (annualized ~290,000 tonnes). Sustaining this run rate would make Kipushi the world’s fourth-largest zinc mine. The company has reaffirmed its 2025 production guidance of 180,000–240,000 tonnes.

In addition, Kipushi has signed a three-year offtake agreement with Mercuria for around one-third of its unallocated high-grade zinc concentrate, complementing existing agreements with CITIC Metal and Trafigura. As part of the deal, Mercuria will provide a $20 million loan facility to Kipushi.