Lindian fires up rigs to target high-grade Malawian rare earths

With a jaw-dropping 45-year mine life locked in, Kangankunde is shaping up as a rare-earths heavyweight in waiting. A 2024 feasibility study put a big green tick against the economics, tipping a robust US$794 million (A$1.2 billion) net present value from an upfront development bill of just US$40 million (A$60 million) – a staggeringly low entry price by global standards.

The plan is to churn out a premium monazite concentrate with a hefty 55 per cent total rare-earth oxides, free of any deleterious elements. Better still, operating costs are forecast to sit comfortably in the lowest cost quartile worldwide, giving the project the kind of margin muscle most miners would salivate over.

Recent metallurgical tests on Kangankunde ore also confirmed just how valuable the deposit is, with its unique monazite-rich ore delivering ultra-high TREO recoveries, including up to 93-97 per cent recovery of NdPr

If drilling at North Knoll confirms the same high-grade, NdPr-rich continuity seen at Lindian’s flagship deposit — with early signs already pointing to identical monazite-rich carbonatite at surface – the upside for Lindian could be substantial.

Sitting right beside the planned Stage 1 mining areas, the prospect could deliver higher-grade feed early, add flexibility to mine scheduling and boost overall project economics. And with more carbonatite lenses likely still hiding in the wings, Kangankunde’s standing as a truly world-class rare earths asset would only grow stronger.

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