User Rating: 0 / 5

Government has launched LC3 Project, an innovation through which a new type of cement will be produced from locally available materials using the blend of clinker, limestone and calcined clay.

The project is expected to cut down on importation of cement production materials.The LC3 Project is a migration from the currently used cement manufacturing technology which used much of imported and scarce high-quality limestone.

Vice-President, Saulos Chilima who graced the occasion at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe on Tuesday, said the project was a timely intervention in government’s quest to support the creation of enterprises and local jobs in the construction sector through reduced cement costs as well as creation of at least 1000 jobs. “These partnerships are not only commendable, but also progressive because they provide us with cement and building solutions.“These projects will reduce the negative environmental impact and instead, allow us to substitute resources scarce to Malawi with other raw materials that are in abundant supply and readily available in the country,” he said.

The environmentally friendly project also resonates with Malawi’s aspirations to promote green growth in the face of the worsening climate growth through the reduction in carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

LC3 Project is a Public-Private Partnership which has engaged renowned cement-producing companies like Lafarge Cement Malawi Limited and Terrastone Limited. “In the case of partnership with Larfarge, the cement production technology used will be replaced with the Limestone Calcined Clay Cement technology. “This will mean reducing Lafarge’s carbon emissions by 10, 000 tons annually,” explained Chilima.

The newly launched project will be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through GIZ in association with TARA. In his remarks, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation in the Germany Embassy to Malawi, Knut Gummert, pledged his government’s support for the successful implantation of the project. He said the project could make Malawi a world leader in the environmentally friendly cement production.

User Rating: 0 / 5

The Malawi Government says it is yet to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) on their campaign to end coal power generation globally.

PPCA is a group of 137 countries, cities, regions and orgamisations aimed dramatically accelerating the phasing out of fossil fuel such as coal through innovation and the deployment of clean technologies in five key sectors of the economy including: power, road transport, steel, hydrogen and agriculture.

Malawi’s stand on the development has been revealed after its participation at this year’s 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) which took place from October 31 to November 12, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Alongside the conference, PPCA Secretariat and United Kingdom (UK) presidency hosted discussion and bilateral meetings on transition to clean and renewable energy, and clean cook stoves, championing campaign on phasing out coal generation; and delivering the historic Paris Agreement.

Presenting an update from the meetings in Parliament, Minister responsible for Forestry and Natural Resources Nancy Tembo said though many countries adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact and pledged to end coal power generation by 2030 and some 2040, Malawi is not ready to answer the call considering the current electricity situation.

Tembo said: “Malawi’s position is to join the Alliance later considering that the country is currently faced with electricity shortages which are slowing down social economic development, yet it has huge coal reserves that can be used for power generation but have not been exploited.

“Malawi has potential to generate 1000 MW from coal. This is very insignificant compared to about 2.045GW which is being generated from coal globally.”

“Nearly 200 countries adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact in Scotland late evening of Saturday November 13, 2021 at the end of COP26.”

“The outcome package asks countries to replace their 2030 national climate action targets with more ambitious emission reductions by the end of next year, 2022.”

“It also calls on countries to comply with standards set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, which asked countries to make changes to keep global warming “well below” 2°C and aim for 1.5°C by the end of 2022 to prevent climate catastrophe.”

According to Tembo, from the discussions and bilateral meetings they had on transition to clean and renewable energy, and clean cook stoves, more than 40 countries pledged to phase down use of coal, the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions; signatories to the deal including heavy coal users Poland, Ukraine and Vietnam.

She said also said developed countries pledged to phase out coal in the 2030s, with developing countries committing to a later timeline of 2040s.

From the meeting, Australia did not commit to phasing out the use of coal while at least 20 countries including Italy, Canada, the US and Denmark along with public financial institutions pledged to stop financing overseas fossil fuel industries by the end of 2022, diverting the cash to clean energy activities.

Tembo also reported that countries accounting for 90% of the world’s GDP pledged to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of this century.

Key among them was India which pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 through a massive expansion of renewable energy in the next 10 years until it accounts for 50% of total usage, thereby reducing its emissions in 2030 by 1-billion tonnes from a current total of around 2.5 billion.

In Africa, rapidly developing Nigeria also pledged net-zero emissions by 2060.

Tembo said: “Malawi also committed 50% emission reduction target, if full external financial and technical support is received, by 2040, compared to the business-as-usual scenario, as outlined in the revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).”

“The Glasgow Pact also agrees to fund the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage which will connect vulnerable developing countries with those who can provide the technical assistance, knowledge and resources they will need to address climate risks and avert, minimize and address future losses and damage.”

“Malawi will benefit from the full operationalization of Network as it will support in determining country needs to address loss and damage from climate change.”

“At COP26, it was also interesting to see some developed countries coming forward to provide funding for loss and damage, for example Scottish Government has pledged financial support amounting to two million pounds towards a Loss and Damage Fund.”

During the discussions and bilateral meetings, Tembo was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka and Minister of Education Agnes Nyalonje.

User Rating: 5 / 5

SX- listed Lotus Resources, which has a mining licence for the mothballed Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Karonga, has announced the commencement of exploration drilling at its newly acquired Livingstonia Tenement and regional prospects in Malawi.

The Livingstonia tenement in Rumphi District has the potential to become a satellite operation from which material could be transported to the Company’s flagship Kayelekera Uranium facility in Karonga.

Lotus acquired the new exploration licenses of Livingstonia as an opportunity to extend the life-of-mine through exploration success and also increase its focus of operating at Kayelekera for longer than 10 years.

Lotus Managing Director Keith Bowes says in a Press Statement that the drilling program of a 30-hole reverse circulation, was designed to convert the historic resource JORC 2004 into a JORC 2012 resource and test potential high-grade extensions.

Bowes also says through the program, multiple greenfield targets are being considered, including the untested Chilumba prospect where a major radiometric anomaly has been identified.

He says: “To be on the ground just over a month after receiving our Livingstonia exploration licences is an excellent result and testament to our team in Malawi.

“The prospectivity at Livingstonia, and in the surrounding area, is outstanding and we believe the area has the potential to become a satellite deposit for the Company in the future, feeding our Kayelekera processing facility.”

“The aim of this exploration program is threefold. Firstly, to convert the historic resource at Livingstonia to a JORC 2012 resource; secondly, to test the multiple extensions around the Livingstonia resource that have been poorly tested; and finally, to test a number of greenfield targets, including the Chilumba prospect, that has a major radiometric anomaly and has never been drill tested.”

Lotus commenced consolidation of this prospective region in 2021, and the drilling program is the first uranium exploration to be undertaken in the area in more than a decade.

The project is still very much in an early exploration phase with the planned work program consisting of an RC drilling program totaling 30 drill holes for approximately 4,000m, consisting of: 6 holes within the historical resource boundary as part of the QAQC process align with JORC 2012; 14 holes targeting extensional opportunities that will target resource growth; and 10 holes to follow up on anomalies that may be used as future targeting, including four holes that will be drilled at the Chilumba prospect located 10 km from Livingstonia

On the assay results from the Kayelekera uranium and Milenje rare earth exploration programs completed in October, Bowes says that the samples are still being processed at the laboratories in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Livingstonia uranium exploration tenements are located in Northern Malawi, approximately 90km southeast of the Company’s Kayelekera Uranium Mine and when combined with the Chilumba Project, this region covers 300km2.

Since taking over Kayelekera from Paladin Energy Limited in March 2020, Lotus completed a positive Re-Start study in October 2020 that confirmed the viability of the project based on a US$65/lb uranium price (current price US$46/lb).

Recently, Lotus commenced a Feasibility Study at Kayelekera Mine that will be completed by mid – 2022 to improve on the accuracy and incorporate the new ideas.

The study will target a project producing 2.5 to 3Mlbs U₃0₈ per annum for more than 10 years.

Lotus has proposed changes for the Project compared to the previous operation including: improved options around power supply; ore sorting technology; acid recovery and leach optimization and; tailings dam improvements.

The Kayelekera Uranium Mine will be kept in Care and Maintenance until Lotus completes studies and the uranium price has recovered to required levels for restart.

User Rating: 0 / 5

New investors in Kayelekera Uranium Mine (KUM) in Karonga, Lotus Resources Limited, have announced commencement of drilling at the recently acquired Livingstonia tenement in Rumphi North and at regional prospects like Chilumba.

The drilling, according to managing director Keith Bowes, is, among others, aimed at converting the historic resource at Livingstonia to a JORC 2012 resource [Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves].

It involves a 30-hole (4 000 metre) reverse circulation (RC) drill programme at Livingstonia, while multiple Greenfield targets are also being considered, including the untested Chilumba prospect where a major radiometric anomaly has been identified.

The development comes just a month after the company announced acquisition of the project at $25 000 (about K20 million).

The new project is located some 90 kilometres southeast of KUM in Karonga, hosts an historical inferred mineral resource of 8.3 million tonnes.

According to Bowes, as quoted in a statement from Lotus dated November 30 2021, the aim of this exploration programme is threefold.

He said: “Firstly, to convert the historic resource at Livingstonia to a JORC 2012 resource; secondly, to test the multiple extensions around the Livingstonia resource that have been poorly tested; and finally, to test a number of Greenfield targets, including the Chilumba prospect, that has a major radiometric anomaly and has never been drill tested.”

In an interview, mining governance expert Elyvin Chawinga said it was high time Malawi learnt from previous mistakes.

She said: “First the government needs to strengthen the relationship between the communities and the company. From the word go they need to have a mutual understanding of the benefits that the mine will have.