08/26/2026
Copper demand is accelerating but supply is facing growing pressure.
The global push toward electrification is driving massive demand for copper, used across power grids, EVs, renewable energy and data infrastructure.
At the same time, some of the world’s major copper operations are facing significant disruptions:
🔹 Grasberg, Indonesia: An 800,000-ton mud flow at the world’s second-largest copper mine has pushed its full restart back to 2028.
🔹 Caserones, Chile: Severe winter storms in the Atacama region forced Lundin Mining to curtail operations and reduce its annual outlook.
🔹 Kamoa-Kakula, DRC: Seismic activity disrupted production at Ivanhoe Mines’ complex, while the company acknowledged that previous backfill assumptions were “probably miscalculated.”
🔹 Cobre Panamá: One of the world’s major copper mines remains offline following its late-2023 shutdown, removing a significant source of global supply.
The challenge is becoming increasingly clear: copper demand is rising just as supply becomes more vulnerable.
For investors, the question is becoming less about whether the world needs more copper and more about where that next supply will come from.
