Zambia's government has granted Canadian explorer Ivanhoe Mines (Ivanhoe) copper exploration licences measuring more than 7,750 square kilometres northwest of the country.

The permits, the TSX-listed firm said in an update on April 2, are adjacent to its other copper assets in neighbouring Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Ivanhoe plans to appoint environmental consultants in the second quarter of 2025 to complete key environmental baseline studies and produce an environmental management plan which it will submit to the government for consideration.  Exploration activities are expected to commence by June 2025.

Ivanhoe founder and executive co-chairman Robert Friedland said the entry of the miner into Zambia is an "exciting" new chapter in its drive to grow its exploration footprint and testing the extent of the Central African Copperbelt which covers the three southern African nations.

"Our new licences in both Zambia and Angola have notable geological similarities to our world-leading discoveries in the DRC," he said.

"We will leverage our deep geological expertise and proven track record in the Western Forelands [in the DRC], where Ivanhoe’s geologists have discovered, including Kamoa-Kakula, over 50mn tonnes of high-grade contained copper to date."

The granting of the licences follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the company and the government in September 2024 paving the way for collaboration in identifying the prospective licence package and allowing Ivanhoe access to existing geological data. 

“Today, we welcome Ivanhoe Mines’ new chapter into Zambia’s mining industry -one that promises jobs, growth, and prosperity for our people," commented Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

"This new investment in copper exploration is not only about achieving our government’s vision of over 3mn tonnes of copper production by 2031, it’s also about unlocking opportunities, empowering communities, and ensuring that our resources benefit every Zambian."