Luanda: Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas Diamantino Pedro Azevedo on Thursday encouraged Angolan companies in the sector to invest in the refining of strategic mineral products essential to the global economy within the country. Speaking to the press at the end of a visit to the Longonjo Rare Earth Elements Refinery Project, accompanied by Huambo Provincial Governor Pereira Alfredo, he said the initiative aims to add value to strategic mineral products and strengthen Angola's extractive industry.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the minister stated that transforming rare earth minerals into intermediate or finished products remains a complex process, although it represents a promising market niche. He welcomed information that Ozango Minerais has already begun studies aimed not only at production but also at the future separation and refining of minerals to be extracted in the area.
The minister said that by 2028, the Longonjo Rare Earth Project will extract four rare earth elements, instead of the two initially planned. The ministry will work with the company to move beyond the concentrate stage, considered the most challenging phase, towards the separation and refining of minerals produced under the concession. He described the process as highly complex but said the objectives would gradually be achieved, with the involvement of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, which inherited Ferrangol's shareholding in a project with approved reserves sufficient for more than 20 years of mining operations.
For his part, Ozango Minerais Chairman Alcdio Jos© said that in the first phase the project will extract around 42 million tonnes of raw ore and is expected to produce nearly 20,000 tonnes per year of mixed rare earth concentrate. He explained that initial geological mapping of the concession area identified neodymium and praseodymium. Further studies also identified dysprosium, elements regarded as having the highest economic value among rare earth minerals and found in significant concentrations within the concession area.
The official said the mining project is expected to employ 600 direct workers during the construction phase and a further 400 during operations, excluding service providers and contractors. He recalled that the mine has an estimated initial lifespan of 20 years, according to studies conducted.
Regarding the compensation process for families living around the mine, which covers an operational area of 33 square kilometers, he said a resettlement program is being implemented in phases and that nearly 100 families have already been compensated. Rare earths are substances found in relatively low concentrations that must be mined and processed using chemical reagents. Global consumption currently stands at around 150,000 tonnes per year.
There are 17 types of rare earth metals, although only six are widely known: neodymium, lanthanum, praseodymium, gadolinium, samarium, and cerium.
