en.Wedoany.com Reported - Canada's Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) announced on June 9, 2026, that its Kipushi zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo produced 25,677 tonnes of zinc concentrate in May 2026, setting a new monthly production record, surpassing the previous record of 22,968 tonnes set in January, a 12% month-over-month increase. The mine's concentrator processed 85,811 tonnes of ore in May, with an average recovery rate of 93% and an average zinc grade of 36.2%.
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Ivanhoe Mines was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in October 2012. The company focuses on exploring and developing minerals critical to the low-carbon energy transition, including copper, zinc, and platinum group metals. Its core assets include the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in the DRC, the Kipushi zinc mine, and the Platreef platinum group metals mine in South Africa. Ivanhoe Mines holds a 68% interest in the Kipushi zinc mine, with the remaining 32% held by the DRC's state-owned mining company, Gécamines. Located in the Haut-Katanga province of the DRC, adjacent to the town of Kipushi and approximately 30 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital Lubumbashi, the mine is situated in the Central African Copperbelt. First mined in 1924, it was shut down in 1993 due to economic crisis and produced its first concentrate in June 2024, officially resuming operations.
From January to May 2026, the Kipushi zinc mine produced approximately 110,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate cumulatively. Annualized, this output is near the midpoint of the company's 2026 production guidance range of 240,000 to 290,000 tonnes. The mine produced 203,168 tonnes of zinc concentrate in full-year 2025, meeting its production target for that year. At the current production rate, the Kipushi zinc mine is expected to become the world's fourth-largest zinc-producing mine in 2026.
In terms of infrastructure, construction of the second tailings storage facility at the Kipushi zinc mine is over 90% complete, with first tailings discharge expected to begin in October 2026. The liner designs for the new tailings facility's Zone 2B expansion and the existing tailings storage facility comply with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). This standard, jointly developed in 2020 by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Principles for Responsible Investment, and the International Council on Mining and Metals, covers the full lifecycle of tailings facilities—from site selection, design, and construction to closure and post-closure—aiming for the ultimate goal of zero harm to people and the environment.
This new monthly production record marks progress in the Kipushi zinc mine's ongoing operational optimization and capacity enhancement, helping Ivanhoe Mines further solidify its market position in global high-grade zinc production.
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