Processing plants set for construction

 The first plants to process Tantalum and Niobium worth $45 million (about Sh100 billion) are set to be constructed and start production in Tanzania by September next year.

The plants, the first of their kind, will be operating at the African Minerals and Geoscience Centre (AMGC). Its construction has come thanks to an agreement with AB Mineral Corp.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, the Director of AB Minerals Corp, Mr Frank Balestra said the plants use high technology, noting that they can process 3,000 tonnes of Coltan Concentrate annually.

Mr Balestra said the system will help in adding value of minerals, which in turn will cut the exportation of raw minerals that was not beneficial to the country’s economy.

“We want to make it easier and accessible for miners to sell their minerals directly to smelters firms and push more money down because the system is cost effective,” he said.

He added: “This will help to reduce costs incurred for agencies, transport and export of finished goods at high value. It will allow a significant tax benefit for the nation.”

He argued that he looked for a conducive technology that will match with the environment, especially, the system that uses low power and chemicals, which are friendly to the environment.

The project will add capacity to the Mineral Centre (AMGC) by enabling African countries to meet the objective of effective utilisation of natural resources through value addition rather than exporting.

As an investor, he said this is a perfect time to invest especially in technology and support the government’s initiative to protect the natural resources for the benefit of its citizens.

This echoed remarks made by the Deputy Minister of Mining and Energy, Dr Medard Kalemani during the 37th AMGC meeting.

Dr Kalemani said mining companies and small scale miners should use the centre for adding value and mineral evaluation before sending to the market. “I call upon mining firms to start bringing their minerals at the centre for evaluation instead of sending them abroad. This is the government’s initiative, which should be implemented,” he said during the meeting last week.

The General Director of AMGC, Dr Ibrahim Shaddad said the centre has put more effort to ensure that it “ I call upon mining firms to start bringing their minerals at the centre for evaluation instead of sending them abroad,”

Dr Medard Kalemani, Deputy Minister of Mining and Energy,