Construction at the Étoile copper-cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is targeted for completion in December 2026, while mechanized mining has already begun at the nearby Mutoshi project, according to updates presented to the country’s mining minister.
Mining Minister Louis Watum Kabamba met representatives of the Mutoshi–Étoile project on October 22 to review progress and development plans. The assets, formerly operated by Chemaf, came under the control of US-based Virtus Minerals and its partner Lloyds Metals & Energy following an acquisition completed in March 2026.
The company reported more than 2,000 direct jobs and nearly 2,000 indirect jobs associated with the project, as well as the involvement of 81 subcontractors. Virtus previously said the acquisition preserved 2,000 existing jobs, while approximately 2,000 contractors were supporting construction activities.
At Mutoshi, in Lualaba Province, mechanized mining began in September, with ore extraction underway ahead of the processing plant’s commissioning. The facility is designed to produce 50,000 tonnes of copper and 20,000 tonnes of cobalt annually once fully operational, according to Virtus Minerals.
At Étoile, near Lubumbashi in Haut-Katanga Province, construction continues toward the December target. The project also includes plans to rehabilitate Mutoshi’s technical school and support approximately 8,500 artisanal miners at the Makala site during the transition, including through financial inclusion and housing-related measures.
The December target concerns the planned completion of construction at Étoile, not the start of full commercial production across both sites. Virtus has said Mutoshi’s processing plant is expected to be commissioned in early 2027.
The next milestones will be completion of the Étoile works and commissioning of the Mutoshi processing plant, which will help determine when the project can reach its planned production levels.
