Name of the Project
Longonjo neodymium/praseodymium project.

Location
Huambo, Angola – 4 km from a modern rail line leading directly into the Port of Lobito in the Atlantic Ocean.

Project Owner/s
Rare earths developer Pensana Rare Earths holds an 84% interest in Longonjo through its 84% holding in Angola-registered company Ozango Minerais, which, in turn, owns 100% of the mining licence.

The Angolan government holds a 10% interest and the company’s Angolan partners the remaining 6%.

Project Description
Pensana has successfully delineated a near surface Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant reserve of 22-million tonnes grading 3.04% total rare-earth oxides (TREOs) containing 139 457 t of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxides, making it one of the world’s largest and highest-grade, undeveloped magnet metal rare earth deposits, with a mine life exceeding 20 years.

The mine execution plan is based on a staged development of the mine and processing facilities.

Initial production will be 20 000 t/y of a highly marketable clean mixed rare-earth carbonate (MREC). A proposed second phase expansion will result in production increasing to 40 000 t/y of MREC containing 14 000 t of TREOs, and up to 4 400 t of NdPr oxides. This equates to about 5% of the worldwide production of neodymium/praseodymium oxides a year for downstream processing or to be sold on the international market.
Initial feedstock will be shipped as a clean, high-purity mixed rare-earth sulphate to Pensana’s Saltend rare earth oxide separation facility, in the UK.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to create 600 high-value jobs, of which more than 50% are expected to be allocated to young people.

Once in full production, the project will create an estimated 2 400 direct and indirect jobs.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Capital cost is estimated at $217-million, including contingencies, which Pensana claims is among the lowest for rare earth developments of this scale.

Planned Start/End Date
Main construction started in May 2025. Longonjo is expected to produce 20 000 t of MREC, starting in 2026, and 40 000 t of MREC from 2029 following the planned expansion.

Latest Developments
Pensana has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nasdaq-listed American Resources Corporation and US critical mineral refiner ReElement Technologies.

Under the terms of the MoU, the companies have agreed to a shared commitment to develop a sustainable, independent rare earth supply chain to meet rising demand from US and allied defence and commercial industries.

The MoU also proposes an offtake of up to 20 000 t/y of ultraclean MREC from Pensana’s Longonjo mine over a five-year period, with pricing to be agreed.

It also includes the integration of ReElement’s advanced refining platform, which offers a high-throughput, low-waste and cost-effective process to produce ultrapure separated rare earth oxides.

The MoU calls for strategic cooperation between the parties to strengthen and secure the global rare earth value chain and explore additional joint opportunities.

It also paves the way for the companies to collectively leverage the Lobito Corridor for low-cost, efficient access to global export markets.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
ADP (main contractor); MCC (main construction); NCP International (equipment); Bushtec (accommodation facilities); ProProcess Engineering (modular process units); Grupo Nov (contractor); and Deugro (international procurement and logistics).

Contact Details for Project Information
Pensana Rare Earths, email admin@pensana.co.uk or ir@pensana.co.uk.