Chinese equipment engineering and supply company Yantai Oriental Metallurgical Engineering (Yome) has been awarded a contract for front-end engineering design (FEED) works for the process plant and associated non-processing infrastructure for graphite miner Triton Minerals’ Ancuabe graphite project, in Mozambique. 

This follows the recent announcement that Triton has recommitted to the large-scale development of the Ancuabe project. The Triton board has said their decision to move straight to the large-scale development was based on strong and increasing demand for graphite from both battery and industrial applications, as well as the strong support of its proposed cornerstone shareholder Shandong Yulong. 

Yome is an associate company of Yantai Jinpeng Mining Machinery (Jinpeng), which is a large mining and processing equipment manufacturer and engineering, procurement and construction management company. 

The appointment followed an extensive process to procure a suitable contractor with the relevant experience and capabilities both in East Africa and in graphite processing equipment. Jinpeng is currently undertaking the supply and installation of the process plant equipment for the 1.5-million-tonne-a-year Nipepe graphite project in Mozambique. 

Yome will undertake the FEED work at Ancuabe in the second quarter, with the aim of enhancing the design of the processing plant, thereby reducing risk and targeting a reduction in the processing plant and non-process infrastructure capital expenditure. 

FEED works will be undertaken with the support of process consultants Verum Projects and Engineering. 

The appointment of Yome included a site visit by Jinpeng to the Ancuabe graphite project. As part of the site visit tour, Jinpeng invited members of the Triton operations team to the Nipepe project.  

This site visit provided Triton with an elevated level of confidence in Jinpeng’s and Yome’s ability to operate successfully both in East Africa and in the graphite sector, the company said. 

“We are very happy to have Yome and Jinpeng join the development of the Ancuabe graphite project. We know Jinpeng to be a highly capable engineering and manufacturing company which has direct experience in building projects in various jurisdictions throughout the world, but importantly in the graphite sector and specifically in Mozambique. 

“The outcomes from the FEED works will provide benefits to the project by improving the deliverables and potentially reducing upfront capital expenditure and minimising the execution risk. This is a critical step as we work towards the funding package and the award of an engineering, procurement and construction contract to build the Ancuabe graphite project,” Triton executive director Andrew Frazer said.