(Ecofin Agency) - Ivanhoe Mines, the Canadian mining powerhouse, revolutionized the Kamoa-Kakula project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), turning it into Africa’s largest copper mine. Now, the company is setting its sights on Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer.

On April 2, 2025, Ivanhoe announced it had secured exploration licenses covering 7,757 square kilometers in Zambia’s North West Province.

The Canadian company will hire environmental consultants in the second quarter of 2025 to draft an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for approval by Zambia’s Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).

At the same time, the company will analyze airborne geophysical data from the concession area to prepare for Air Core and auger drilling. These efforts will enable Ivanhoe’s geologists to map the vast terrain and pinpoint targets for future diamond drilling.

The newly acquired Zambian concession lies 230 kilometers northeast of Ivanhoe’s Western Forelands project in the DRC. The company emphasizes geological similarities between this area and copper-rich discoveries in the DRC, particularly at Kamoa-Kakula. Ivanhoe is betting on the continuity of the Central African Copperbelt, which spans both nations.

“Our entrance into Zambia marks an exciting new chapter in Ivanhoe Mines’ commitment to expanding our exploration footprint and testing the extent of the Central African Copperbelt…which is already the world’s largest and highest-grade sedimentary Copperbelt,” said Robert Friedland, Ivanhoe’s Executive Chairman.

The key question is whether Ivanhoe can replicate its DRC success in Zambia. At Kamoa-Kakula, Ivanhoe boasts an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes of copper, with plans to exceed 800,000 tonnes over time. Even if Zambia does not reach these figures, success there would diversify Ivanhoe’s copper production, which currently relies entirely on the DRC.

This article was initially published in French by Emiliano Tossou

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum