Mkango to set up solar plant at Songwe Hill project

Mkango has announced plans to construct at its Songwe Hill project in Malawi. The goal is to provide sustainable electricity for mining operations, showcasing a commitment to reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

The rare earth element (REE) mining company, aims to develop three PV plants with a total capacity of 25 MW. It has released its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report, emphasizing an energy and electricity consumption plan.

The firm has a focus on minimizing operational energy needs and mitigating negative impacts on the environment and society. The combination of on-site acid regeneration with off-peak hydroelectric and solar PV energy is identified as a strategy that yields the lowest global warming potential.

Mkango’s growth strategy revolves around the development of the Songwe Hill project, with a specific focus on rare earth element production. The aim is to meet the increasing demand for rare earth elements, driven by the growth of electric vehicles and clean technologies.

Mkango is collaborating with Grupa Azoty Pulawy on an REE separation plant in Poland. The emphasis is on sustainable practices, and the company is exploring green technology opportunities within the rare earth supply chain.

Songwe Hill

Songwe Hill, a carbonatite-hosted rare earth deposit, is the main development target in retention licence RTL 0001/21, one of a block of eleven retention licences which Mkango refers to as the ‘Phalombe Licences’. Historical exploration programmes were carried out at Songwe Hill in the late 1980s. After three phases of exploration drilling in 2011, 2012 and 2018, Mkango completed a NI43-101 compliant technical report and upgraded Mineral Resource estimate for the Songwe Hill Project in January 2019, and the Definitive Feasibility Study was completed in July 2022.