Name of the Project
Moma titanium mine – WCP A upgrade and transition project.

Location
North-east coast of Mozambique. 

Project Owner/s
Titanium minerals producer Kenmare Resources.
 
Project Description
The Moma mine contains deposits of heavy minerals that include the titanium minerals ilmenite and rutile, as well as the zirconium silicate mineral, zircon.

Mining is principally undertaken using dredges that float in artificial mining ponds. These dredges pump the mineral sands that form the wall of the pond into a floating wet concentrator plant (WCP). Dredging takes place in three separate artificial freshwater ponds where four dredges feed three floating WCPs – WCP A, WCP B and WCP C. 

WCP A is the biggest of Kenmare’s three mining plants, representing about 50% of total mining capacity. 

WCP A will start its transition from its current mine path, in Namalope, where it has mined for 17 years, to Nataka, in late 2025. Nataka represents more than 70% of Moma’s mineral resources, containing 6.4-billion tonnes of the mine’s nine-billion tonnes of mineral resources. The transition project is the only move of this kind that is required in WCP A’s economic life, which is expected to extend beyond the existing mine plan that runs until 2045.

The principal components of the project include the replacement of WCP A’s two existing dredges with higher-capacity dredges, the addition of a desliming circuit, and the construction of a tailings storage facility (TSF).

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
$341-million. Kenmare plans to fund the WCP A upgrade and transition from cash flow and existing debt facilities.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The WCP A project remains within budget, with upgrade activities progressing steadily, further reducing project risks.  

By the end of the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2024, 75% of the project budget had been allocated, aligning with expectations. Mining is taking place 750 m from the staging pond, keeping pace with the schedule for connection to the new module in the third quarter of 2025.  

Fabrication of the two new dredges is advancing in the Netherlands under the project contractor. The dredges are set to be launched at the contractor’s docks soon, with fabrication expected to be finalised in the second quarter of 2025. They will then be shipped to Moma for commissioning in the third quarter.  

All major components of WCP A’s new module – 42 pontoons, a surge bin, an upfront desliming circuit, key steel structures and screens – are now on site, with construction proceeding as planned. Commissioning remains scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.  

Construction of the TSF has been delayed, owing to permitting issues linked to Mozambique’s general election. Work started in mid-January, with commissioning set for the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, slimes management during the third quarter has been incorporated into the mine plan.  

Further, the introduction of a small-scale dredge-mining and concentrating operation will allow for extraction in peripheral mineral resource areas at Pilivili high dunes and Namalope Flats. These zones, characterised by low slime content and above-average grades, are inaccessible to larger WCPs or existing dry mining operations, owing to groundwater constraints preventing extraction below the water table. The operation is expected to yield about 50 000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate.  

Construction of the small-scale dredge-mining and concentrating operation at Moma is progressing well, with capital expenditure projected below $6 million and the project remaining within budget.  

The operation will help maintain ilmenite production in 2025 at levels comparable to those of 2023 and 2024, despite planned WCP A downtime for dredge replacements and plant upgrades.  

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Kenmare Resources, tel +353 1 6710411 or email info@kenmareresources.com.