Luanda: Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Diamantino Pedro Azevedo announced over the weekend in southern Hula Province that 90% of the technical component of the niobium mining project in Quilengues is ready for production to begin in November this year. The minister made the announcement during a working visit to the mining project to assess the technical conditions of the operation and its level of preparedness.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the minister stated, "The project has reached a crucial stage and is ready to begin production. We came here to verify this and also to identify the existing constraints." He explained that the visit had helped identify some constraints that still needed to be addressed before mining operations could commence.
He highlighted that once the mine becomes operational, Angola could join the select group of countries producing niobium, a mineral considered rare and strategic. Niobium is used to produce high-strength steel alloys, with applications in the aerospace and automotive industries, satellites, electric vehicles, and nuclear reactors.
The project is already generating economic and social benefits for communities in the region, with 1,000 jobs created, mostly for young people from Quilengues, Lubango, and other parts of the country. As part of the social responsibility programme of the company responsible for the mining operation, an infrastructure facility for water retention and storage has been built. One of the reservoirs built to support mining activities could also help supply water to communities in the surrounding areas.
The project also includes the provision of electricity from a substation located in Lubango, which could benefit both the mining company and local communities. The minister emphasized the importance of future mining operations for diversifying the national economy, generating foreign exchange, and improving macroeconomic indicators. He also highlighted the social investments made by the concessionaire, particularly in employment, education, access to water, and electricity.
Production at the mine could represent a new milestone for Angola's mining sector and strengthen the country's presence in the international market for strategic minerals. The project is being developed by Chinese company Niobonga, which holds a 461-square-kilometre concession and plans to extract, in addition to niobium, other mineral resources found in the area, notably phosphate and iron. The municipality of Quilengues is located 143 kilometres northwest of Lubango, the capital of Hula Province.
