PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Graphite developer Black Rock Mining on Thursday announced the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) to collaborate on graphite haulage from the proposed Mahenge project, by existing railway to the Port of Dar es Salaam.
“Direct access to rail will give Black Rock a tremendous advantage when it comes to running a lower-cost and sustainable operation. Having rail on our doorstep clearly demonstrates this unique competitive advantage that ultimately enables Black Rock to access key customer destinations from the deep-water Port of Dar es Salaam,” said Black Rock CEO John de Vries.
“This rail infrastructure is already in place, and with the recent MoU with Tanzania Electric Supply Company for grid power, Black Rock continues to focus on establishing the building blocks required as part of our long-term plan to deliver a world-class, sustainable and responsible graphite operation at Mahenge.”
The MoU with Tazara establishes a framework for a binding agreement to transport graphite produced at Mahenge to the Port of Dar es Salaam, via existing railway siding and rail lines.
Key terms of the agreement include the transport of 89 000 t of graphite produced from the first module at Mahenge, ramping up to 344 000 t in full production from four modules.
Black Rock this week revealed it was targeting first production from Mahenge in the 2024 calendar year.