The Democratic Republic of Congo’s state miner, Gecamines, announced on Monday that it will make its first shipment of germanium concentrates to Europe, sourced from its Big Hill tailings dump. The new concentrates are produced at a new plant in Lubumbashi, the country’s mining hub, and will be sent to Umicore in Belgium for further processing to be used in high-tech applications, according to a statement released by the company.
“This inaugural shipment of germanium confirms our ambition, nurtured over several years, to make Congo a global hub for strategic metals,” said Gecamines chairman Robert Lukama. The shipment follows a deal signed in May between Umicore and Gecamines, which has allowed the plant to increase output by processing waste material from the tailings site. This agreement also enables Umicore to diversify its supply of germanium, a rare mineral essential for chipmaking, infrared technology, fibre optic cables, and solar cells.
