Mining
Thumbs up Globe Metals for deciding to refine Kanyika ore within Malawi!
April 01, 2024 / Marcel Chimwala
We welcome news that ASX-listed Globe Metals & Mining has finally decided to set up a refinery for the Kanyika ore in Lilongwe rescinding its earlier decision to refine the ore outside Malawi.
We thank Globe Metals for making this important decision despite having both the mining license and mining development agreement which legally empowers them to start mining at Kanyika.
As reported in our front page article, this announcement by Globe meets Malawians long-expressed wishes for local value-addition, instead of seeing the country’s mineral resources routinely exported overseas to be transformed into high-value saleable products.
By producing Niobium and Tantalum oxides within Malawi for export to world markets, the Kanyika Mine will add significantly to the country’s foreign exchange earnings, boosting the Balance of Payments account and raising the National Gross Domestic Product.
We also feel this refinery will provide lots of jobs to Malawians which would have been lost if processing of this ore was to be conducted in Namibia.
In addition, the setting up of this refinery in Malawi will assist in capacity building of the locals who will acquire knowledge and skills from expatriates engaged at the facility.
Setting up of this refinery in Malawi will also assist Government to easily monitor the products from the ore as the Kanyika deposit contains niobium, tantalum, uranium and zircon.
We, therefore, appreciate the efforts by the Malawi Government to convince Globe Metals to set up this refinery within Malawi.
We share the view of the Malawi Government that local value addition is the way to go for Malawi if the country is to fully reap from the potential of its mineral sector.
The country is producing graduates in mining related courses such as metallurgy who are expecting to get jobs and the best way to create jobs for them is to establish laboratories for mineral processing and refineries within Malawi.
Countries in the region such as Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia are encouraging local value addition so Malawi does not have to lag behind.
The current hype in exploration activities for industrial minerals such as niobium and rare earths is a clear indication that Malawi has enormous potential for these minerals so it is important that Government should uphold strict local content policies to maximise benefits for the nation.
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Rehabilitation:
The establishment of a stable and self-sustaining ecosystem, but not necessarily the one that existed before mining began. In many cases, complete restoration may be impossible, but successful remediation, reclamation, and rehabilitation can result in the timely establishment of a functional ecosystem.
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Remediation:
The cleanup of the contaminated area to safe levels by removing or isolating contaminants. At mine sites, remediation often consists of isolating contaminated material in pre-existing tailings storage facilities, capping tailings and waste rock stockpiles with clean topsoil, and collecting and treating any contaminated mine water if necessary.
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