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
Kenmare Resources has said the upgrade of WCP A, and its subsequent transition to the large Nataka orezone, will enable Kenmare to unlock more than 70% of Moma’s mineral resources.

The project contractor is advancing the fabrication of the two new dredges. All work is expected to be completed in the second quarter, before transportation to Moma for commissioning in the third quarter.

Further, all principal components of the new module, including 42 pontoons, a surge bin, an upfront desliming circuit, major steelwork and screens, are on site. Construction is advancing, with a risk of a delay to commissioning to later in the third quarter, Kenmare has said.

Construction of a TSF started in mid-January, with commissioning expected in the fourth quarter. The company says the work is ahead of schedule.

The total capital cost for the upgrade and transition of WCP A remains at $341-million.
 
Kenmare started incurring capital expenditure (capex) for the WCP A upgrade and transition in 2023, with orders for key long-lead items such as the two new higher-capacity dredges.

The company says capex payments to date have been slower than expected, deferring forecast expenditure from 2024 into subsequent years.

The company is adopting a phased approach to increasing production, combining the results of its analysis of upgrade options for WCP B and insights from the more recent selective mining operation.

“This strategy will enable us to allocate capital in the most efficient manner, delivering enhanced returns,” Kenmare Resources MD Tom Hickey has said.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

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