Botswana has started construction of its Ikongwe iron-ore mine, with production expected to reach 1mn mt annually for the next decade, with iron-ore content up to 65pc.
Ikongwe is owned by a unit of India’s Yashomann Industries and it will be the first of its kind in the country after receiving approval this year. The iron produced at the deposit is good for steelmaking as it is expected to exceed the minimum required 60pc iron content.
Chetan Patil director Vision Ridge, Ikongwe’s business development entity, noted that the facility plans to set up a pig iron plant in the vicinity to meet export demand.
Lefoko Moagi, the minister of mineral resources, green technology, and energy security added that the mine will also look into the production of some of the run-on-mine material for local steel production with hopes to revive the country’s domestic steel industry.