Chinese battery materials manufacturer Dowstone Technology has unveiled plans to invest $165 million in a new copper smelting facility in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), further cementing China’s role in Africa’s copper value chain.
Announced on July 3, 2025, the project aims to establish a modern plant capable of producing 30,000 tons of copper cathodes annually. Construction is expected to take 18 months, pending regulatory approvals from both Congolese and Chinese authorities.
The move aligns with a broader trend of Chinese investment in local mineral processing to extract greater value from raw materials mined in the DRC—one of the world’s richest sources of copper.
Dowstone, which already operates cathode production facilities in the region with an annual output exceeding 60,000 tons (as of late 2024), is among several Chinese firms expanding their refining capacity in the country.
Other key players include China Nonferrous Mining Corporation (CNMC), which operates the Lualaba Copper Smelter, commissioned in 2020 with a processing capacity of 100,000 tons per year.
Additionally, Zijin Mining and CITIC Metal have secured long-term offtake agreements with Canadian miner Ivanhoe Mines for 80% of production from the upcoming Kamoa-Kakula smelter. Scheduled to launch in September 2025, the facility will have an expected annual capacity of 500,000 tons, making it Africa’s largest copper smelter. Zijin Mining also holds a 39.6% stake in the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex.
China’s aggressive push into the DRC’s copper refining sector reflects its growing demand for critical minerals. In 2024 alone, the DRC exported 1.48 million tons of refined copper to China—a 71% increase from the previous year.
However, the DRC government is expressing concerns over China’s dominance. According to Marcellin Paluku, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Mines, Chinese companies control around 80% of the country’s mining operations, raising fears of over-reliance on a single partner.
To mitigate this risk, Kinshasa is now exploring partnerships with other international investors, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, in an effort to diversify its mining sector and attract more balanced foreign investment.
How these efforts will reshape the future of Chinese involvement in the DRC’s mining landscape remains to be seen.
