Abstract
The global energy transition has increased demand for critical minerals like copper and cobalt, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) being a key producer. Despite rich ore deposits, severe electricity shortages challenge the energy-intensive mining sector. This study investigates the future electricity demand in the DRC’s mining sector, considering declining ore grades and changing copper ore mineralogy. Based on the forecasts of copper and cobalt production until 2050, the electricity requirements and their implications for the DRC’s energy sector are determined. In 2025, copper and cobalt production demanded 1699 MW of electricity, projected to peak at 2469–2657 MW in 2032. Considering known deposits and prospective resources, demand could reach 3109–3246 MW by 2042. Declining ore grades have minimal impact on electricity consumption due to high ore grades before 2050, while changing mineralogy could decrease demand by 133–270 MW by 2050 across scenarios through increased pyrometallurgical methods for extracting sulphidic minerals. Strategic energy planning must explicitly integrate mining demand to catalyze investment in energy infrastructure, simultaneously securing critical mineral supply chains and advancing national electrification goals.