Marula Mining’s Tomra COM XRT 1200 ore sorter has been decommissioned in Gauteng and will soon be transported to Springbok in the Northern Cape. The ore sorter is destined for the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine, part of Marula’s expansion plans to increase production and export high-value lithium products.
Marula Mining CEO Jason Brewer expressed his satisfaction with the progress. “It’s good to finally see movement with the delivery and planned installation of the Tomra ore sorter at Blesberg,” Brewer said. Despite unforeseen delays, the company remains focused on enhancing ore processing capabilities to produce high-value mineral products, including valuable by-products identified on-site.
Marula has engaged several contractors, including Tomra Systems, for the delivery, refurbishment, and commissioning of the ore sorter at Blesberg. Upon arrival in Springbok, the sorter will undergo maintenance and refurbishment before its installation and commissioning at the mine.
The ore sorter is integral to Marula’s plans to expand the ore processing capacity at Blesberg, producing high-grade lithium spodumene ore and other higher-value lithium products. The commissioning has been delayed by several months due to factors beyond the company’s control. However, once operational, Marula expects to produce higher-value lithium products.
Civil contractors are also engaged to complete the site civil and engineering works at Blesberg for the sorter’s installation. Tomra Systems will oversee the installation and commissioning alongside Marula’s management team and consultants. Samples of all rock types of different size fractions at Blesberg have been provided to Tomra as part of earlier analyses and recovery test work.
Bulk sample preparation of different size fractions will begin at Blesberg as part of the initial trials and optimization work after the ore sorter’s commissioning on-site. This commissioning is a key step in Marula’s plans to expand its ore processing capacity to achieve increased production levels.
The installation of the ore sorter and additional crushing and screening capacity will allow Marula to process fines material, maximizing recovery of lithium and tantalum mineralization. This will enable the upgrading of the spodumene product to produce higher-value lithium products.
Marula has started discussions with the company’s lithium ore offtake partner and end-users of lithium products in China for battery manufacturing. This process aims to produce a high-value lithium product on-site at Blesberg. “With contractors now engaged alongside our management team and the team from Tomra Systems, I am confident in the progress we will make at Blesberg,” Brewer said.
Meanwhile, Marula subsidiary Muchai Mining Kenya (MMK) has entered into a manganese ore supply agreement with Kenyan incorporated and 100%-female-owned mining company Kitmin. The ore agreement, from August 1 to December 31, 2026, may extend by three years. Kitmin will supply and deliver a minimum of 10,000 tons per month of manganese ore at a minimum grade of 20% manganese to the Kilifi processing plant.
The Kilifi plant processes about 10,000 tons a month of run-of-mine manganese ore. The agreement is on standard commercial terms, with purchase and delivery on a fixed unit price basis. These scheduled ore deliveries allow MMK to operate the Kilifi plant at full capacity.
“Signing this manganese ore supply and delivery agreement with Kitmin marks a significant milestone as we commence manganese ore processing and export operations at Kilifi,” Brewer said. This partnership ensures a stable supply of manganese ore to Kilifi, reinforcing Marula’s commitment to strategic relationships within Kenya’s mining industry.
Under the agreement, MMK will make an advance cash payment to Kitmin for the first 5,000 tons of manganese ore. These funds will mobilize equipment and meet Kitmin’s funding needs for production and delivery. Marula and MMK are reviewing additional manganese mining operations in the area as further ore feed sources for Kilifi.
“We believe that this ore supply agreement and the commencement of processing and mineral export operations at Kilifi will benefit Marula and positively impact local communities by creating job opportunities and driving economic growth,” Brewer said. The finalization of logistics contracts for transporting saleable manganese production to Mombasa port and its export is progressing and expected to be completed by the third quarter’s end.
“Marula is quickly building their presence in Kenya’s mining sector, and we look forward to our partnership and the positive impacts our combined activities at Kilifi will have,” Kitmin MD Poonam Varma said.
Source: Mining Weekly
