Vertical Integration as a Pillar for the DRC’s Economic Sovereignty Objective: Buenassa Unveils $3.5 Billion Industrial Roadmap

KINSHASA, DRC — January 29, 2026 

Ahead of the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, D.C., Buenassa Resources today unveiled a $3.5 billion industrial roadmap. The proposal is designed to catalyze the DRC’s Economic Sovereignty Objective by establishing a secure, vertically integrated ecosystem for strategic metals in direct support of the national security priorities of the United States of America and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A Vision for Social and Economic Stability 

Commenting on the national imperative of the project, Samy Badibanga, Chairman of Buenassa Resources and former Prime Minister of the DRC, stated: 

"Ultimately, this is about the people. We aim to provide clarity to more than 3,000 direct Chemaf employees and thousands of local subcontractors whose livelihoods are currently affected by prolonged uncertainty. Additionally, our copper and cobalt refining complex will generate about 5,000 jobs. We are choosing industrial stability over speculative friction. By anchoring this project in the DRC’s own industrial fabric, we are securing a future of permanence for our workers and our region."

Buenassa’s $3.5 Billion Strategic Investment Framework 

Buenassa’s roadmap is built on three industrial pillars to ensure regional stability and long-term supply for the West while allowing the DRC to move up the industrial value chain: 

Investment Pillar	CAPEX	Strategic Objectives & Production Targets
Upstream: Chemaf Acquisition	$1.5 Billion	Stabilization & Debt Reprofiling: Focused on completing the Etoile II and Mutoshi plants to service existing obligations and establish a reliable feedstock.
Midstream: Refinery (Phase I)	$700 Million	Primary Launch: Targeted production of 30,000 tonnes of copper and 5,000 tonnes of cobalt (LME-grade copper cathode; cobalt sulfate & high-purity metal).
Midstream: Refinery (Phase II)	$1.3 Billion	Industrial Scaling: Scaling production to 120,000 tonnes of copper and 20,000 tonnes of cobalt annually.
Midstream: Refinery (Phase III)	Strategic Expansion	Global Ambition: Future-proofing the facility to scale output in alignment with international market dynamics and DRC industrial maturity.
Downstream: Strategic Supply & Stockpiling	Strategic Development	Secure End-to-End Supply Chain: Integrated supply and marketing of refined products, supported by domestic and international stockpiling to advance national security priorities.

Delivering Supply Stability Through Vertical Integration 

Detailing the strategic logic of the proposal, Eddy Kioni, CEO of Buenassa Resources, added: 

"Vertical integration is the best path to neutralize the feed source and market-price volatility that has historically deterred Western investment. To ensure absolute transparency, our architecture provides for financially ring-fenced projects while maintaining total operational integration. This prevents financial or risk-related collision between assets, protecting investor capital while ensuring the refinery has a guaranteed, non-volatile source of ore.”  This $3.5 billion framework creates a secure supply chain, ensuring that we can deliver military-grade metals for the defense sector and battery-grade sulfates for the commercial sector."

Commercial Bankability and Regional Capital 

Buenassa is advancing its platform toward bankability with the support of the DRC Government, African and international DFIs, and leading technical partners. As part of its efforts to reorient critical mineral supply chains, Buenassa is strengthening its relationships with U.S. Government institutions, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (US DFC). In parallel, Buenassa is working with a leading U.S. commodity trading house to transparently augment and rapidly develop its internal trading capacity. Additionally, Buenassa has benefited from the early support of Rawbank, a leading local bank, and United Bank for Africa (UBA), a leading pan-African financial institution. To support its industrial objectives, Buenassa is advancing a strategic partnership with a prominent industrial group in the Gulf region. 

Technical Governance and African Know-How 

Buenassa has implemented a governance and engineering framework aligned with leading international standards and delivery practices. Buenassa is committed to alignment with OECD responsible business conduct and supply-chain due diligence standards to ensure transparency and traceability across the value chain. 

• Strategic Audit: Roland Berger Strategy Consultants will execute a comprehensive acquisition audit and debt restructuring for the upstream assets. 

• Dual-Role Engineering: A consortium of Bara Consulting and MET63 will serve as the Owner’s Engineer for the refinery while participating in the management of upstream operations to ensure seamless integration. This partnership brings together world-class technical rigor and deep-rooted African engineering know-how, ensuring that the DRC’s industrial future is built by experts who truly understand the continent’s unique geological and operational landscape. 

• U.S. Leadership: Buenassa will appoint a U.S.-based Lead Consultant to deliver the PFS and DFS. A U.S. Prime EPC will then be appointed for construction and long-term Management, Maintenance, and Service (MMS). 

Media Contact: 

Matthew Sheedy | Vanessa Motayo 

media@buenassa.com | +243 (0) 813 396 060 

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