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WHO WE ARE

Our History

Company Milestones

The company derives part of its name, Kamoto, from the Swahili for "small fire".

  • 1942: Discovery of the ore deposit
  • 1948: First extraction of ore takes place
  • 1959: Initial preparatory works and sinking of shafts
  • 1964: Next phase of extraction of ore 
  • 2006: Two companies, Kamoto Operating Limited (KOL) under Katanga Mining Limited (KML) and DRC Copper Project (DCP) under Nikanor, set up in Kolwezi to operate the Kamoto underground, the KOV open pit and mine respectively
  • 2008: The two companies merge to improve production efficiency
  • 2009: The joint venture becomes effective and establishes the Kamoto Copper Company
  • 2010: Presidential decree recognises KCC as a private company and partner of Gécamines, which represents the Congolese State
  • 2013: Glencore invests in Kamoto, taking up (75%) percentage share ownership through Katanga Mining
  • 2014: KCC becomes a limited company according to OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa)
  • 2015: KCC’s Luilu and KTC facilities enter care and maintenance to enable construction of the Whole Ore Leach (WOL) expansion project
  • 2017: Commissioning of the Whole Ore Leach project
  • 2017: Production of first copper cathode
  • 2020: Acid plant construction is completed. Production ramps up to 270,000 tons of copper and 23,900 tons of cobalt.