Mining
KANYIKA FIRST PRODUCTION PLANNED FOR 2028
January 07, 2026 / Marcel Chimwala
Globe signed community development agreement for Kanyika
ASX-listed Globe Metals & Mining, which is pursuing the Kanyika Niobium Project in Mzimba, has announced that the mine’s first production of saleable oxide is planned for January 2028.
The Kanyika Niobium Project is set to become the first major non-Brazilian niobium producer in more than fifty years.
Globe says in its end of the year update that its updated Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) is on track for completion by March 31, 2026, laying the technical and economic groundwork for Final Investment Decision (FID), funding, offtake agreements and the mobilisation of construction.
“In the coming year, we expect Kanyika will evolve from a fully permitted plan into a construction-ready, internationally strategic critical-minerals asset,” reads the update.
Globe Metals Interim CEO & CFO Charles Altshuler explains in the update that Kanyika has been designed for phased development, enabling an efficient, lower-risk path to first production while allowing the market to absorb early volumes and support future expansion.
The first phase is designed to deliver roughly one-third of full-scale processing capacity, supported by a solar–diesel hybrid power solution.
“First production of saleable oxide is planned for January 2028, thereby meeting the requirement for an exportable saleable product by March 2028, in accordance with the Mining Licence and the Mine Development Agreement, which require this milestone to be achieved within five years of issuance.
” Phase Two, planned for April 2029, aims to scale the operation to production of 3,000–3,300 tonnes of niobium pentoxide and 150–160 tonnes of tantalum pentoxide annually.
Globe says this staged approach reduces upfront capital risk, accelerates cash flow, and aligns its expansion with customer qualification and long-term market demand.
The Company will develop the Kanyika Project as a conventional open-pit operation with a low strip ratio. Ore will be mined and crushed on site to a suitable size for processing, eliminating the need to transport run-of-mine material off site and ensuring value addition begins at the mine.
Crushed ore will be processed through an on-site beneficiation circuit using established physical separation techniques to concentrate the niobium and tantalum minerals. This removes most waste material at site, significantly reducing mass before further processing. The upgraded concentrate will then be treated in an on-site hydrometallurgical plant using proven, industry-standard technology to produce saleable niobium oxide (Nb?O?) and tantalum oxide (Ta?O?).
”The processing route is well understood and commercially proven,” Altshuler says. Final products will be packaged on site and containerised for transport. Only finished niobium and tantalum oxide products are exported, and these materials are non-radioactive.
Globe stresses that no radioactive ore, concentrate, or waste material is transported off site. It says producing a high-value, low-volume product at the mine gate avoids bulk transport and allows efficient export using existing road and port infrastructure, enabling near term logistics readiness without reliance on rail megaprojects.
Global markets and supply
Global niobium supply remains critically constrained, with more than 90% sourced from a single Brazilian producer, leaving the west 100% reliant on imports. Demand continues to surge, driven by aerospace, defence, hypersonic platforms, superconductivity, batteries and advanced manufacturing.
Kanyika is poised to emerge as one of the few new suppliers of high-purity niobium oxide, integral to support global markets in national-security and advanced technology supply chains. Altshuler explains that the mine–concentrator– refinery integration inside Malawi is a key strategic advantage, enabling Globe to supply high-purity Nb?O? instead of ferroniobium, thus meeting the needs of end-users requiring full traceability, ESG compliance and conflict-free provenance.
“Globe is entering the new year with a clear path to construction, strengthened financial capacity, solid government and community partnerships, and an international relevant project capable of reshaping niobium supply chains outside Brazil. Kanyika stands to become the first major new niobium pentoxide producer in fifty years, playing a critical role in the future of aerospace, defence, clean energy and advanced manufacturing,” he says.
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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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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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