The municipality of Jamba Mineira, in Angola’s Huíla province, is preparing to export approximately 1.07 million tonnes of pig iron concentrate in the coming months, through the ambitious Cassinga steel project, announced the municipal administrator on Thursday.
Luís Marcelo explained that the ore, which will be locally processed at a washing plant currently under construction, is destined for export to Asian and European countries via the Sacomar terminal in Namibe, using the Moçâmedes Railway (CFM) branch line.
Currently, the mining project is at the stage of building the processing plant (washing station), a key facility for the pig iron production phase to begin.
Although production has not yet started, he said that the company Tocia Lengola, which has been licensed by the government to operate the Cassinga steel project, is already in advanced talks with CFM and other partners regarding the logistical arrangements for exporting the pig iron — particularly the pricing per tonne for transportation.
“So far, we’re on the right track in terms of logistics. What’s currently concerning us is the lack of a 24-hour power supply in the region, which is slowing down the launch of iron ore extraction. Demining work is underway to enable the construction of a power transmission line from the Gove dam to Jamba Mineira municipality, including the commune of Cassinga, covering more than 150 kilometers,” he said.
Reviving Progress
The municipal administrator stated that once electricity becomes available through the Gove dam branch — passing through Chipindo, Cuvango, Jamba Mineira, and the Cassinga-Chamutete village — it will boost the region’s socio-economic progress.
Following the conclusion of the exploration phase, which identified vast reserves of pig iron in the region, the installation of necessary infrastructure is underway. The steel plant is expected to have a production capacity of up to 1.7 million tonnes per year.
Source: Jornal de Angola
