Pensana has commenced construction activities at its Longonjo rare earths project in Angola, following a $25-million investment from the Fundo Soberano de Angola (FSDEA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund.
The project team, led by South African project management professional Kevin Botha, has now initiated key procurement and engineering contracts.
Engineering firms Pro-Process and ADP (Lycopodium RSA) have been formally appointed and have begun work on site.
Preparatory site works, completed earlier this year, have paved the way for a streamlined construction phase.
The main contractor, Grupo Nov, has mobilised its workforce, which is expected to exceed 100 on-site personnel, with additional earthmoving equipment arriving to complete terracing in the production plant area.
Pensana chief executive Tim George described the start of main construction as “a pivotal moment for the project, which has been six years in the making.”
The company has invested more than $70 million over the past six years in exploration, technical studies, and environmental assessments at Longonjo.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor-In-Chief, Rough & Polished
