Malawi’s Kangankunde rare earths project is moving closer to production after developer Lindian Resources stockpiled about 125,000 tonnes of ore ahead of commissioning, bringing one of the country’s most advanced critical-minerals developments within reach of first concentrate before the end of the year.
The milestone could give Malawi a foothold in the global rare earth supply chain at a time when governments and manufacturers are seeking to diversify sources of minerals used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics and defence technologies.
Lindian says mining is now well established at Kangankunde, with 14 production blasts completed and construction of the processing plant continuing around the clock. First monazite concentrate is targeted by the end of 2026, although commissioning and plant ramp-up still have to be completed.
Ore stockpile builds ahead of commissioning
In its latest Kangankunde project update, Lindian said the 125,000 tonnes accumulated on the run-of-mine pad had been stockpiled ahead of schedule.
That gives the processing plant a ready supply of feedstock when commissioning begins and reduces the risk of plant start-up being delayed by shortages of freshly mined material.
Mechanical installation, piping, electrical work and instrumentation are now among the main areas of focus as individual sections of the plant move towards completion.
Power infrastructure is also approaching an important milestone. Lindian says its 33kV electricity system is substantially advanced, with site energisation planned for October.
Executive director Zac Komur said after a recent visit that the company expected production to begin this year.
Komur wrote on LinkedIn that ‘we will be in production this year’, while also confirming that mining was under way and the ore stockpile had reached about 125,000 tonnes.
The timetable remains a company target rather than a guaranteed production date.
Malawi watches mining push gather pace
The development is being closely watched in Lilongwe as the government seeks to expand mining’s contribution to exports, investment and public revenue.
Mining Minister Thoko Tembo visited Kangankunde on September 23, touring the processing plant, mining pit, ore stockpile and tailings storage facility before initiating the project’s 14th production blast.
The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation reported that Tembo expressed satisfaction with progress and said work at the site was being carried out in line with government requirements.
Malawi is attempting to move several uranium, graphite, rutile and rare earth projects from exploration and feasibility studies into construction and production.
Africa Briefing has reported on Malawi’s growing critical-minerals ambitions, with the government increasingly looking to mining as a source of foreign exchange and economic diversification.
Kangankunde is among the projects closest to crossing from development into sustained commercial production.
Stage one could run for decades
The scale of the deposit gives Kangankunde importance beyond its first production year.
Lindian’s mineral resource estimate puts the project at about 261m tonnes grading 2.14 percent total rare earth oxides.
Its Stage 1 feasibility study envisages average annual production of about 15,300 tonnes of monazite concentrate grading approximately 55 percent total rare earth oxides.
The initial development is based on reserves supporting a mine life of around 45 years.
Lindian is also studying a larger Stage 2 expansion that could significantly increase concentrate output, although that would depend on completion of further technical work, financing and a separate investment decision.
The project is entering production as competition over rare earth supply chains intensifies.
According to the International Energy Agency’s assessment of rare earth supply chains, China accounted for about 60 percent of global mined production of magnet rare earths and 91 percent of refined output in 2024, underlining how concentrated the supply chain remains.
That concentration has encouraged governments and manufacturers to support new projects outside China, particularly those capable of supplying minerals used in permanent magnets.
Africa’s strategic mineral resources are attracting growing international attention, although African governments are increasingly demanding that more processing and value creation take place locally.
Iluka deal offers route to market
Kangankunde already has a route to an international buyer.
Lindian signed a binding agreement with Australian mineral sands group Iluka Resources covering 6,000 dry metric tonnes of monazite concentrate a year for an initial 15-year term.
Under the rare earth concentrate supply agreement with Iluka, the material is intended for the company’s Eneabba rare earths refinery in Western Australia.
The agreement also contains conditional rights linked to any future expansion of Kangankunde, including potential additional offtake if Stage 2 proceeds and agreed financing conditions are met.
For Malawi, however, growing mineral production has also raised a more difficult question: how much value should be added before minerals leave the country?
The government has been pressing mining companies to process minerals domestically rather than export untreated ore.
Malawi has tightened its stance on raw mineral exports as part of a broader effort to capture more economic value from its natural resources.
Lindian has said Kangankunde is not affected by the directive because ore from the mine will be processed into monazite concentrate before export.
That distinction will remain important as Malawi tries to balance the need to attract mining investment with its ambition to build more processing capacity at home.
Production now becomes the test
Kangankunde has reached the point where delivery matters more than promise.
For years, the project’s story centred on the size and quality of the deposit, financing and whether construction would begin.
The question now is whether Lindian can commission the processing plant smoothly and turn the growing ore stockpile into saleable concentrate before the end of December.
The company says more than 85 percent of its direct workforce is Malawian, while the wider construction workforce has exceeded 3,000 people, with most workers recruited locally.
If the production timetable holds, Kangankunde would give Malawi more than another promising mineral deposit.
It would give the country a producing rare earths operation and a new place in a strategically important global supply chain that remains heavily concentrated in a handful of countries.
