Mozambique: Tantalite production fell 3% in 2023

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Mozambique: Tantalite production fell 3% in 2023

10:46 CAT | 19 Mar 2024

in file CoM

Mozambican production of tantalite, a highly valued and rare ore sought after by the electronics industry, dropped by 3% in 2023, falling short of the target set by the government for the year.

According to data from the 2023 budget execution from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to which Lusa had access today, tantalite production reached 204,804.5 kilograms last year, compared to 244,745.6 kilograms in the previous year (-3 %), corresponding to 84% of the planned total.

Tantalite is a mineral formed by niobium and tantalum, sought after for applications in the electronics industry, in mobile phones and capacitors, due to its heat resistance and other properties.

Mozambique expects to break its own tantalite production record in 2024, approaching 270 tons in one year, according to official data previously reported by Lusa.

According to government forecasts for 2024, Mozambique is expected to produce 268.9 tonnes of tantalite, an increase of 7% compared to what was initially forecast for 2023. In 2022, the country produced 210.5 tonnes of tantalite ore, while in 2021 it extracted just 178.5 tons and in 2020 just over 209 tons.

“The level of tantalite production until the first half of 2023 stood at 51% compared to planned and it is expected that until December it will maintain the same trend”, the government had previously explained.

“For 2024, a growth rate of 7% is expected, largely due to the high levels of production of the 724C license of the Highland African Mining Company (HAMC), the largest producer of this mineral in the country,” it added.

HAMC signed a concession agreement to exploit tantalite in Mozambique in 2002.

READ: Mozambique: 2024 tantalite production should be highest yet – government

Source: Lusa