Kamoa-Kakula Turns to Solar and Batteries as African Mining Tackles Its Power Problem

A large solar-and-battery project has begun commercial operations to supply power to the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo, linking renewable-energy investment directly to one of Africa’s most strategically important mining operations.

The project combines 233 MWp of solar photovoltaic capacity with 526 MWh of battery energy storage and is designed to provide at least 30 MW of baseload supply to Kamoa-Kakula under its contracted operating profile, according to project developer CrossBoundary Energy.

The development matters because reliable electricity remains a major constraint for energy-intensive mining operations in several African markets, even as global demand for copper and other transition minerals increases.

Mining needs dependable power

Copper mines require substantial and continuous electricity for extraction, crushing, processing, ventilation and associated infrastructure. Interruptions can reduce production and force operators to depend on costly backup generation.

Solar power alone is variable, but pairing generation with large-scale battery storage allows electricity produced during daylight hours to be stored and dispatched later. In Kamoa-Kakula’s case, the combined system has been engineered around a contracted dependable supply requirement rather than simply adding intermittent generation.

The project also offers a practical example of how African mining companies are approaching energy security as electricity systems face rising demand and infrastructure constraints.

Copper and the energy transition

Kamoa-Kakula is significant beyond the DRC. Copper is a critical input for power grids, electric vehicles, renewable-energy systems and other electrification technologies. That places African copper producers within a global supply chain that is expanding as countries invest in lower-carbon infrastructure.

There is an inherent industrial challenge in that relationship: producing minerals required for the global energy transition is itself energy intensive. The competitiveness of African mineral production therefore depends partly on whether mines can secure reliable power at predictable costs.

Renewable generation and storage can become part of that solution where project economics and operating conditions are suitable. They can also reduce reliance on diesel generation, although claims about exact cost and emissions savings depend on operating performance and should be assessed over time.

Energy infrastructure becomes mining infrastructure

The Kamoa-Kakula development illustrates a wider shift in African industrial projects. Power infrastructure is increasingly being developed alongside mines, factories and data centres rather than treated as an entirely separate utility-sector problem.

For investors, dependable electricity can directly affect production risk. For governments, private energy projects tied to large industrial users can add capacity but also raise questions about how investment connects with wider national electricity systems and surrounding communities.

The commercial start of the solar-and-storage system is therefore more than another renewable-energy milestone. It is an example of how the infrastructure supporting Africa’s critical-minerals sector is changing as mining companies seek more resilient power supplies.

As copper demand rises, the competitiveness of African producers will depend not only on the quality of their mineral resources but also on the electricity, transport and processing infrastructure that allows those resources to reach global and regional value chains reliably.