Ivanhoe Mines completes hydropower ramp-up of 178-megawatt Turbine #5 at Inga II, DRC
Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. [TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF] Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland and President and CEO Marna Cloete reported that the first 50 megawatts (MW) of clean, hydroelectric power from the newly refurbished 178-MW Turbine #5 at the Inga II dam is now being received at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex located in the Central African Copperbelt, Democratic Republic of Congo. The feed of hydroelectric power, from Inga II to Kamoa Kakula, is expected to increase to 100 MW in Q1 2026 and then increase to 150 MW as grid improvements are completed.
Installation of replacement mechanical and electrical equipment at Turbine #5 at the Inga II hydroelectric facility was completed in Q3 2025, followed by synchronization and energization of Turbine #5 in early Q4 2025. The newly refurbished Turbine #5 has since ramped up to full capacity, delivering approximately 180 MW of clean, hydroelectric power into the DRC grid. Of the 180 MW being delivered into the grid, Kamoa-Kakula is currently receiving an initial 50 MW, bringing its total domestically sourced power to approximately 110 MW. Hydroelectric power delivery to Kamoa-Kakula, from Turbine #5, is expected to increase to 100 MW in Q1 2026 and to 150 MW thereafter as grid upgrades are completed.
The grid improvement initiatives primarily focus on upgrades to substations at Inga (SCI) and Kolwezi (SCK). The first upgrade, consisting of resistor banks at the Inga substation, was completed in May 2025. Corresponding resistor upgrades at the Kolwezi substation are expected to be completed imminently, improving voltage stability to Kamoa-Kakula. In addition, the static compensator at the Kolwezi substation is scheduled to be completed in early Q1 2026, increasing the power delivery from Inga II to the Kamoa-Kakula up to 100 MW. The remaining workstreams to upgrade the filter banks at SCI and SCK will occur in phases over the next 18 months, ultimately increasing the total power received from Turbine #5 to 150 MW during H1 2027. As shown in Figure 1, by the end of 2027, total domestically-sourced, renewable grid-supplied power is expected to be approximately 210 MW.
The Inga II hydroelectric facility consists of eight turbines, with the potential to generate up to 1.4 gigawatts of clean, hydroelectric power. Inga II is located on the Congo River, the second-largest river in the world by discharge. The refurbishment of Turbine #5 commenced in 2022.
Ivanhoe Mines is focused on advancing its three principal operations in Southern Africa; the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC; and the tier-one Platreef platinum-palladium-nickel-rhodium-gold-copper mine in South Africa.
Ivanhoe Mines is exploring for copper in its highly prospective, 54-100% owned exploration licences in the Western Forelands, covering an area over six times larger than the adjacent Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, including the high-grade discoveries in the Makoko District. Ivanhoe is also exploring for new sedimentary copper discoveries in new horizons, including Angola, Kazakhstan, and Zambia.