Lindian fires first blast as Malawian rare earths mining kicks off

Lindian Resources has moved from builder to miner at its giant Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi after firing the operation’s first production blast to start active mining.

The milestone takes the company another step along its path from project developer to rare earths producer, with first output still scheduled for the December quarter.

The maiden blast was drilled, charged and fired across 206 holes, fragmenting 13,100 tonnes of material, including an estimated 5500 tonnes of ore. Haulage is already underway using Lindian’s owner-operated Komatsu fleet and the company is building run-of-mine (ROM) stockpiles ahead of plant commissioning.

Management says the early move into mining is designed to reduce commissioning risk by ensuring ore is available from day one of the plant’s start-up sequence. Front-end commissioning remains targeted for October, with practical completion slated for mid-November.

The first blast follows Lindian’s June update, which showed Kangankunde rapidly moving through its mining-readiness milestones. At that stage, the company had established access to the top of its stage one open pit, completed the haul road, secured explosives approvals and started drilling the first blast pattern.

By late June, Lindian had already established a 27,000t ore inventory on the ROM pad, completed a 27-kilometre power corridor, installed 269 poles and pushed the tailings storage facility to the halfway mark.

Kangankunde is the cornerstone of Lindian’s rare earths ambitions and is expected to produce a premium monazite concentrate grading 55 per cent total rare earth oxides, with no deleterious elements. Lindian says the project remains fully funded and on schedule.

The company says it has also maintained a strong safety record during the build, with more than 858,711 lost-time-injury-free work hours recorded across the project. Senior Malawian government representatives, regulators, traditional authorities, district officials, community leaders, employees and contractors attended the first blast event.

Lindian Resources executive director Zac Komur said: “The successful completion of the first production blast is a defining execution milestone for Lindian and marks the formal commencement of active mining operations. In less than twelve months from Final Investment Decision, Lindian has advanced from construction into mining, with ore already delivered to the ROM stockpile ahead of process plant commissioning later this year.” 

Executive chairman Robert Martin was in Malawi during the week for meetings with Mining Minister Thoko Tembo and other senior officials, while executive director Zac Komur and members of the Perth-based management team spent several weeks on site overseeing construction progress and mining readiness.

The company is also advancing its next-stage growth plans, with engineering firm DRA Global leading a stage-two feasibility study due in December. That work is assessing a four-million-tonne-per-annum expansion pathway aimed at lifting total concentrate capacity to 120,000 tonnes per year, subject to the study and a final investment decision.

The first blast may have supplied the theatre, but the practical bit is what matters most. Lindian now has ore moving, stockpiles building and a commissioning clock ticking towards October, giving Kangankunde a clear run at joining the ranks of rare earths producers before year’s end.

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