The finalisation of a $400-million debt and equity arrangement for the Moma titanium minerals project in the Nampula Province on the north eastern coast of Mozambique will provide a major boost to the South African government’s commitment to the sustainable development of the African region.
According to Ian Benning, head of the project finance resources division of Absa Corporate and Merchant Bank (ACMB), the lead arranger for the South African component of the deal, the titanium mine is expected to be fully operational by 2006 with revenues of about $85-million a year being generated over the project’s 20-year life.
As part of the debt package, ACMB has signed a $80-million export credit financing agreement with Irish and London stock-exchange-listed company Kenmare Resources to develop the Moma titanium minerals deposit.
Total debt comprises a combination of senior and subordinated debt amounting to $269-million and represents one of the largest-to-date debt raisings in London for a non-FTSE 100 mining company.
This represents a turning point in the mining industry, whereby traditionally large resource projects were only financed through the support of major mining partners and mostly excluded traditional mid-tier mining companies.
The lender group also comprises the European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, FMO (a Dutch-based development institution) and KfW Bankengrüppe. Absa’s lending is insured by South Africa’s Export Credit Insurance Agency.
Using globally proven technology, Kenmare aims to develop a world-class titanium minerals deposit at Moma. The mine is expected to be fully operational by 2006 and will in steady state produce 620 000 tons of ilmenite, 15 000 tons of rutile and up to 60 000 tons of zircon per annum.
Operating at an estimated cost of $23-million a year, Moma will yield huge benefits for Mozambique. The proximity of the mine near major shipping routes will assist in opening the northern parts of Mozambique to the rest of the world.
The completed project will consist of dredges, a dredge pond and concentrator plant, a minerals separation plant, tailings dam, access road, export jetty with product storage and loading facility, electrical transmission and generation facilities, accommodation, airstrip and other related infrastructure.
The project is expected to employ approximately 425 permanent staff at the mine and associated processing operations. When in steady state production, only 40 of these will be expatriate staff, while the rest of the complement will comprise Mozambican citizens.
Approximately 94% of titanium minerals are used in the manufacture of titanium dioxide pigment, providing whiteness and opacity to products such as paints and coatings but also plastics, paper, inks, food and cosmetics, including most toothpastes.
The balance of titanium is largely consumed in titanium alloys that are characterised by their strength, light weight, extraordinary corrosion resistance and ability to withstand extreme temperatures, and are principally used in aircraft, although applications in consumer products such as golf clubs, bicycles, wedding bands and laptop computers are becoming more common. — I-Net Bridge