CrossBoundary Energy’s solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage system serving the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached commercial operation and is now supplying 30 MW of firm baseload power to Kamoa Copper. The facility entered commercial operation on August 12, 2026, around 16 months after the power purchase agreement was signed in April 2025. The system combines 233 MWp of solar PV capacity with 123 MVA/526 MWh of battery storage and is designed to provide continuous power at a 95% annual availability factor.
During early operations, the solar plant has already delivered more than 150 MW of output, with around 50 MW supplied directly to the mine network and the balance used to charge the battery system, according to CrossBoundary figures cited by Energy-Storage.news. The facility’s maximum expected solar output is around 180 MW, while the battery system enables renewable generation to be stored and dispatched outside daylight hours, supporting the 30 MW round-the-clock power guarantee.
The new facility adds another source of reliable electricity to Kamoa-Kakula, which is principally owned by Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining and the DRC government. The operation already relies on hydropower supplied through cooperation with state utility SNEL, while solar-plus-storage is intended to reduce reliance on diesel generation and strengthen the resilience of the mine’s power supply.
The start of commercial operation represents an important infrastructure milestone for Kamoa-Kakula, where power reliability remains critical to stable mining and processing. Although the 30 MW firm-power contribution is modest relative to the complex’s overall electricity requirements, the combination of large-scale solar generation and battery storage provides an additional layer of supply security and could reduce exposure to diesel costs and grid-related disruptions.
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