Modifications to AQSE- and A2X-listed Marula Mining’s Kilifi manganese processing plant, in Kenya, remain on schedule to be completed in the first quarter, the company said on February 14.

The work currently under way includes modifications to the screen sizes of the trommel scrubber and vibrating screens, to the feed hopper and the oversize crushing, as well as to the final manganese product stockpiling areas.

As part of this ongoing work, Nairobi-based specialist mineral processing, engineering and fabrication company Zegatron Engineering Solutions has been engaged to complete several modifications to the plant, complete the plant optimisation work and oversee the commissioning and initial operation of the manganese processing operations.

Ahead of the commissioning of the Kilifi plant, Marula has engaged contractors to transport mobile mining equipment to the plant site. This equipment will be used in the mining and transport of the manganese ore to site and for the loading of the final manganese product as part of the broader logistics arrangements for the export of the high-grade manganese ores.

The commissioning of the plant and first manganese exports sales are expected to be completed this quarter, with commissioning of the plant and first export sales to follow shortly thereafter.

Negotiations are ongoing for an initial 5 000 t of manganese sales. Marula expects these will be completed this quarter. Once concluded, the agreements could form the basis for potential long-term manganese offtake arrangements for the Kilifi plant.

A few days ago, on February 12, Marula Mining confirmed that it had signed its first copper sales agreement with a Europe-based global commodity trading group in respect of the high-grade copper concentrates produced from one of its other assets – the Kinusi copper mine in Tanzania.

"With the current strength of the manganese market and the high-value product that we believe we can deliver at the Kilifi plant, [and] with the progress we are making here at Kilifi and the recent news from our Kinusi copper mine, and other developments across the group, it is fair to say that Marula is on track to establish itself as a multi-mine, multi-commodity-producing critical metals mining company.

"This quarter was always going to be a significant one for the company and we hope to deliver on our strategy and production goals," Marula CEO Jason Brewer said.