Commodity trader Trafigura has withdrawn from a proposed 2,000 MW electricity transmission project intended to supply surplus Angolan hydropower to copper and cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, according to foreign media reports. The initiative originated in July 2024 when Trafigura signed a non-binding agreement with engineering firm ProMarks and the Angolan government to conduct feasibility studies for a high-voltage interconnector. According to foreign media reports, the line aimed to monetize Angola's northern hydropower capacity to help alleviate chronic electricity deficits affecting mining assets in the Central African Copperbelt. The withdrawal highlights the complex financing and risk dynamics associated with large-scale cross-border energy infrastructure in emerging markets, as reliable grid power remains a primary constraint for scaling up copper and cobalt production across Zambia and the DRC. According to foreign media reports, despite Trafigura's exit, other transmission ventures linking Angola to regional mining centers are progressing. These include Meridia Energy's planned Lauca–Kolwezi line (1,400 MW) and Soyo–Inga–Cabinda line (800 MW), targeted for commercial operation by 2030, as well as a separate $1.5 billion interconnector proposed by U.S.-based HYDRO-LINK aimed at Lualaba and Katanga provinces. While the delay of this specific 2,000 MW line creates a short-term hurdle for cross-border power sharing, broader efforts to connect Angola's surplus generation to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and Copperbelt miners remain active under revised consortia, according to foreign media reports.

Given the high reliance of the Copperbelt’s mineral processing and logistics on critical consumables supplied via the Middle East, SMM conducted a 17-day field investigation across the Copperbelt to assess the short-term stability of the copper supply chain and the impact of regional infrastructure bottlenecks, engaging with 25 stakeholders in Zambia and DRC and covering the entire value chain, ranging from mining, smelting, refining to downstream logistics and infrastructure investment.

On April 17, Ye Jianhua, Director and Supervisor of the Industry Research Department of SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM), Feng Chundi, Expert of the Industry Research Department of SMM, and Wu Tao, Overseas Marketing Manager of SMM's Copper and Tin Division, visited Shituru Mining Corporation S.A.S. (SMCO) for an on-site survey and exchange. SMCO's relevant management extended a warm reception. During the exchange, the two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on practical operational issues including copper-cobalt mine production and operations outside China, process technology optimization, stable capacity release, and responses to raw material and finished product market fluctuations. Meanwhile, both parties conducted thorough exchanges on topics such as overseas mining project operation and management, production risk prevention and control, market trend analysis, industrial synergistic development, and new energy metal market opportunities. This on-site exchange effectively enhanced both parties' understanding of the current industry landscape and overseas mine operations, laying a solid foundation for continued industry exchanges and deepened industrial collaboration going forward. Introduction to Shituru Mining Corporation S.A.S. Shituru Mining Corporation S.A.S. (SMCO) is located in Likasi, a major mining hub in the Haut-Katanga Province of the DRC. It is a large-scale, modern overseas mining enterprise controlled by Pengxin Global Resources Co., Ltd. (stock code: 600490.SH), a publicly listed firm on China's A-share market. Since commencing production in 2012, SMCO has established and refined a comprehensive industry chain integrating copper and cobalt ore mining, mineral processing, and hydrometallurgy, leveraging the world-class Shituru copper mine resources. The company has adopted the internationally advanced "Leaching-Solvent Extraction-Electrodeposition" (SX-EW) process and operates fully automated production lines covering the entire process of ore crushing, grinding, classification, leaching, solvent extraction, and electrodeposition, with a capacity of tens of thousands of metric tons of high-grade copper and cobalt products annually. Its core products include high-purity copper cathode meeting the London Metal Exchange (LME) Grade A delivery standards, as well as cobalt hydroxide product lines that have been constructed and put into production in recent years in response to the expanding demand from the new energy market. As a commercially operated mining entity of significant scale, SMCO strictly adheres to industry technical standards in its production. The metal raw materials it produces are widely supplied to the global market and serve as indispensable upstream materials in modern industrial chains including NEV power batteries, consumer electronics, power cables, construction piping, and high-end equipment manufacturing. Scheduled to be held on September 15–16, 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia. You are cordially invited to participate! Conference Contact : Wu Tao: 18270916376 jennywu@smm.cn

The chairman of the board of US exploration enterprise Copper Intelligence stated that the company plans to launch drilling operations within the next four to six weeks, targeting a copper mining area in eastern Congo that has been largely untouched by major miners. The company believes the region is an unexplored copper belt.The DRC is the world's second-largest copper producer, behind only Chile. Last year, the country supplied approximately 4.8 million mt of copper, metals used in EV batteries and the clean energy transition. Previous exploration activities were primarily concentrated in the country's southern copper belt, covering Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces, where Glencore and other companies operate around Kolwezi and Lubumbashi.

On April 20 (Monday), the chairman of the board of US exploration enterprise Copper Intelligence stated that the company plans to commence drilling operations within the next four to six weeks, targeting a copper mining area in eastern Congo that has been largely untouched by major miners. The company believes the region represents an unexplored copper belt. The DRC is the world's second-largest copper producer, behind only Chile. Last year, the country supplied approximately 4.8 million mt of copper, metals used in EV batteries and the clean energy transition. Previous exploration activities were primarily concentrated in the country's southern copper belt, covering Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces, where Glencore and others operate around Kolwezi and Lubumbashi. By contrast, parts of eastern Congo are better known for gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten, with operators including Barrick, Alphamin, and artisanal gold producers. Andrew Groves, chairman of the board of Copper Intelligence, stated that the company has completed the acquisition of the Butembo copper mine permit. The mine is a near-surface, high-grade exploration target discovered after artisanal gold miners identified shallow layered oxide copper mineralization. Groves said soil samples and surface outcrops have identified a copper deposit extending approximately 7 kilometers to the boundary of Virunga National Park, indicating district-scale potential for the area. The permit covers an area of approximately 70 to 80 square kilometers. He added that drilling is needed to determine the depth and thickness of the primary ore body. Rock samples have returned copper grades of up to 18%, and if this grade is confirmed over a larger area, it would rank among the highest grades globally. The company plans to drill in phases to establish an initial resource estimate. Annual exploration expenditure is expected to be approximately $1 million to $1.5 million. Groves stated that the project is approximately 50 kilometers from the Ugandan border and can be connected by rail to the port of Mombasa in Kenya, offering a shorter export route compared to the Katanga copper belt. He added that Copper Intelligence plans to sell copper exclusively to the US market. "Our goal is to become a pure-play US copper supplier." (Wenhua Consolidated)

KINSHASA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced a partial and temporary lifting of the suspension on copper and cobalt processing activities, following the completion of a compliance review in the southeastern mineral-rich Lualaba Province, the DRC Ministry of Mines said Monday.