Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil, and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, has announced that niobium production will begin this year in Quilengues, Huila. The long-awaited project is expected to commence once electricity supply issues at the site are resolved.
“If everything proceeds as planned, production activities will begin this year in the first phase, with future expansion planned,” Azevedo stated during a meeting with Niobonga, the Chinese company overseeing production.
He emphasized the project’s significance, noting that niobium is classified as a “critical” mineral, especially in the electronics industry.
Previous timelines for the project’s launch had been set but not met. Authorities initially projected niobium exploration to start in the first quarter of 2025, while the Chinese company had aimed for an earlier launch in April 2024.
Delays stemmed from infrastructure challenges, including the relocation of families and weather-related constraints.
Currently, the site relies on diesel generators consuming 50,000 liters per day, a figure that could rise to 160,000 liters per day during full-scale production.
Expanding the public power grid to the site is considered a key solution. In the first phase, the project requires 25 megawatts of power, increasing to 90 megawatts in later stages.
The prospecting phase lasted two years, and by the end of 2023, over 800 national and foreign workers were employed.
The workforce is expected to grow significantly, reaching between 2,000 and 5,000 workers during full exploration.
The project, covering an initial area of 160,000 square meters, involves an investment exceeding $20 million, according to Angop.
