As rare earths projects move into the gritty reality of construction and commissioning, execution becomes everything. And with that in mind, Lindian Resources has appointed seasoned veteran Cliff Webster as technical manager to help drive delivery at its flagship Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi.
The hire comes at a pivotal moment for Lindian, with stage one construction progressing towards commissioning and first production, while the company simultaneously eyes a sizeable stage two expansion.
Webster brings more than 30 years of experience across complex process plants, greenfields and brownfields developments, and commissioning roles at major operations. Most recently, he served as commissioning manager on the Mt Weld expansion for Lynas Rare Earths, a project that has become a benchmark for rare earths processing in Australia.
His CV also includes senior roles at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin nickel operation, Vale’s Goro nickel project, BHP’s Ravensthorpe nickel project and Olympic Dam – a collection of assets that would make most engineers envious.
The company says Webster will be tasked with delivering and commissioning the project on time and without surprises.
Under the current development plan, stage one will establish Kangankunde as a producer of premium monazite concentrate. In contrast, stage two is designed to lift output by a further 100,000 tonnes per annum of concentrate. While scale-up offers upside, it often also introduces technical risks, making early discipline and operational readiness critical.
Webster will take charge of technical governance across the initial build, covering everything from engineering interfaces and vendor management through to construction integration. His brief also includes identifying and neutralising risks before they can disrupt commissioning schedules or dent performance.
Once construction wraps up, the focus shifts to systems completion, pre-commissioning, commissioning execution and performance testing, before the all-important operational handover.
Beyond plant start-up, Webster will also oversee operational readiness initiatives, including operating procedures, workforce training, maintenance systems and spare parts strategies.
Lindian is already pushing ahead with studies for stage two developments, aiming to translate metallurgical testwork into a flotation concentrator that is genuinely operable at scale.
Lindian Resources executive director Zac Komur said: “Stage 1 delivery will be defined by commissioning discipline, operational readiness and performance reliability. Cliff brings direct rare earth expansion experience from Mt Weld and a strong track record delivering complex process plants through startup and ramp-up.”
With a strategic partnership in place with Iluka Resources, funding secured and construction underway, Lindian is gearing up for the final execution push, firmly in the spotlight.
As the rare earths market continues to attract geopolitical attention and long-term demand themes strengthen, Kangankunde is shaping up as one of the more closely-watched new entrants.
With an experienced hand now guiding the project through its most critical phase, Lindian appears determined to turn its development plans into dependable production – and potentially much more beyond that.
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By Doug Bright
