Aim-listed Firering Strategic Minerals has upgraded and restarted production at its Limeco quicklime operation, in Zambia, and has also secured a ten-year mining licence for its Tier 1 limestone deposit, which is expected to underpin more than 50 years of production.

The company announced that Kiln 1, which first came online in the first quarter of this year, has been refurbished with a new induced draft fan motor and variable speed drive, enabling a stable throughput of between 45 t and 50 t a day.

The kiln was taken offline in July for scheduled maintenance and performance improvements, before being successfully refired in August and reaching full operational temperature as planned.

Refurbishment of Kiln 2 is currently under way, with the final equipment being shipped from India. Firering said on September 19 that hot commissioning is expected in the coming months.

Lessons from Kiln 1 are being applied to the second unit, and further enhancements will later be implemented across the remaining kilns. Kilns 3 and 4 are expected to follow, with the eventual target of scaling production to between 600 t and 800 t a day across Limeco’s eight-kiln plant.

Firering CEO Yuval Cohen said the operational progress and growing demand pipeline provided confidence in the roll-out of additional kilns.

“We are delighted with the progress at Limeco, which gives us confidence as we roll out the plan to bring further kilns online. A strengthening sales pipeline with a more diverse product range firmly puts Limeco on track to become a leading supplier of high-quality quicklime to the region,” he said.

Firering reported that demand had been strong across all product categories, with sufficient buying interest to support additional kilns being brought online. The company recently concluded its first sale of lower-grade quicklime, opening a new revenue stream from material previously regarded as unsaleable.

An in-house salesperson with experience in Zambia’s quicklime market has also been appointed to drive commercial growth, while further product lines for both local and regional markets are under evaluation.

Feedstock for Kiln 1 is currently being drawn from a stockpile of more than 150 000 t. However, the recently awarded mining licence will allow Limeco to transition to direct mining once the stockpile nears depletion. Mining is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The licence is valid for an initial ten-year period, with provisions for renewal. It covers Limeco’s Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mineral resource estimate of 145.2-million tonnes at 95.7% calcium carbonate, comprising 11.8-million tonnes measured, 55.4-million tonnes indicated and 78-million tonnes inferred.

Firering said this resource provided sufficient reserves to sustain more than 50 years of quicklime production.