Sponsored Content for Zac Komur

Budding rare earths miner Lindian Resources has moved a step closer to production after taking stock of its mining fleet at the company's Kangankunde project in Malawi. With early works and site establishment wrapped up, construction activity is gaining momentum across multiple fronts ahead of first production slated for later this year.

Lindian Resources has locked in delivery of its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi by awarding the design and construction contract for the stage-one processing plant to Obsideo. The move has significantly de-risked execution, with recent plant optimisation likely to lift throughput, while keeping capex broadly in line, as the company targets first production in late 2026.

Lindian Resources has shifted its Kangankunde rare earths project into high gear after awarding every major non-process infrastructure contract, clearing the decks ahead of full-scale mine construction in Malawi. With work already underway across multiple packages, contractors mobilised and the mining fleet rolling in, the company says the milestone materially boosts execution confidence ahead of first production in 2026.

Lindian Resources has kicked off a drilling campaign at its North Knoll prospect. The target, which returned rock chips assaying of up to 7.15 per cent total rare earths (TREOs), is one of several high-grade carbonatite-rich lenses previously identified near the company's world-class Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi.

Metallurgical test work by Lindian Resources at its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi has nailed very high extraction rates and produced a monazite feed grading 54 per cent TREO. Notably, the product includes very favourable magnet rare earths (Nd and Pr) characteristics containing ultra-low uranium – thorium contents using standard simple and scalable low complexity flowsheets.

Lindian Resources has kicked off construction of its Tipume accommodation village at the company's world-class Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi, representing an important development milestone. Kangankunde is a world class rare earths project that boasts 1000m mineralised drill intersections going well over 2 per cent total rare earths oxides. Australian critical minerals processor Iluka has already put its hand up for the offtake.

Lindian Resources has received a green light from Malawi's government, confirming its Kangankunde rare earths are exempt from an executive order banning raw mineral exports as it will process the ore locally to produce monazite concentrate. The clarification arrives just a day after Lindian's initial proactive reassurance to investors, quelling market jitters that had briefly dented the company's share price.

In a bold decision that could accelerate the path to production, Lindian Resources has decided to run its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi under an owner-operator model. By ditching contract miners and putting its own team in the driver's seat, the ASX-listed junior aims to sharpen efficiency, cut long-term costs and stamp more control over one of the world's most anticipated rare earths developments.

Lindian Resources has engaged DRA Pacific for its Malawian Kangankunde rare earths project stage 2 study, targeting 50,000-100,000pa concentrate. Lindian is positioning itself as a key player in the global rare earths market, under recently appointed executive director Zac Komur, with stage 1 development on track, funded by a $91.5 million placement, targeting first production in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Lindian Resources will start metallurgical test work of its high-grade Kangankunde monazite from Malawi, helped by Australia's top nuclear science team, to target a market-ready mixed rare earth carbonate product. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation will run parallel acid and alkaline cracking methods to find the most economical way of producing a usable carbonate product prior to generating a final certificate of analysis.