VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Ivanhoe Mines has started supplying electricity to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) national grid from the first of three hydropower plants it has agreed to upgrade in collaboration with its joint venture (JV) partners.
Ongoing upgrading work at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant, financed by the company, in parallel with the development of Ivanhoe's high-grade Kamoa copper project, has seen supply start at an initial 11 MW.
The upgrading is part of a programme to overhaul three hydropower plants dating back to the 1930s, being conducted by Ivanhoe Mines and its JV partner Zijin Mining Group, in conjunction with the DRC’s State-owned power company, La Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL).
“This first installation of modern power-generating equipment at Mwadingusha is an important milestone in helping to secure long-term, sustainable and clean electricity for the Congolese people and for the development of our major new copper mine at Kamoa," stated executive chairperson Robert Friedland.
At Mwadingusha, electricity is now being produced by the No 1 turbine generator, the first of six that are being upgraded and modernised. It is the first step in a programme based on an initial 2011 memorandum of understanding, and a subsequent 2014 agreement between Ivanhoe and SNEL.
Modernisation of Mwadingusha’s five other generating units is now under way and is expected to restore Mwadingusha to its installed capacity of about 71 MW of power for the national grid.
Ivanhoe reported that a ceremony last week marked the resumption of output from the first generator, and was attended by prominent officials.
Upgrading of the other two existing hydroelectric power plants – Koni and Nzilo 1 – is expected to start once upgrading work at Mwadingusha is complete. The three plants, once fully reconditioned, could produce a combined 200 MW, which is expected to be more than sufficient to launch copper production at Kamoa.
Meanwhile, construction of a 20-km-long, 120 kV transmission line to supply construction power to the Kamoa site from the Kolwezi–Kisenge line, where it crosses the northern boundary of the Kamoa mining licence, was completed in late August, the company advised.
Further, a local company is constructing 8 km of 11 kV overhead power lines, cabling reticulation and five mini-substations for distributing 11 kV of electricity to the Kamoa mine development declines at Kansoko Sud, camps, offices and dewatering boreholes.
Ivanhoe expects power from the national grid to be available to the Kamoa site in October, after the final testing and commissioning of the 120 kV and 11 kV overhead powerlines and electrical substations at Kamoa.