AMN - DRC: Alphamin Bisie tin mine on track

Alphamin Resources Corp is on track to deliver on its commitment to develop the first large commercial tin mine in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that will produce responsible, developmental, conflict-free tin concentrate, while promoting community development, safety, health and environmentally sound practices.

First production at the Bisie Tin Project is expected in 2019 and the mine will reach steady state production towards the end of 2019. The project is already bringing substantial benefit to local communities and holds promise of attractive returns for investors for many years to come.

Alphamin recently hosted a media round table in Johannesburg where senior journalists had the opportunity to engage with the North Kivu Minister of Mines, Electricity, Small & Medium Enterprises, Industry and Hydrocarbons, Minister Professor Anselme Paluku Kitakya, the North Kivu Provincial Director of The Ministry of Mines’ Centre of Evaluation, Expertise and Certification, Dr Daniel Ngoie Mbayo as well as the senior leadership of Alphamin.

Minister Professor Kitakya expressed his support for the Bisie project and the value that the project already brings to the Walikale territory in North Kivu in the DRC. He welcomed the prospect of increasing the North Kivu tin production and in the country.

“Bisie will double the DRC’s exports of tin by 10,000 tonnes per year,” he said. “The mine holds significant value for the region as it brings local and regional employment while adding to the region’s infrastructure and social well-being."

"Examples of such value include the building of the Luuka Primary School at Logu-walikale, substantial upgrade of the region’s roads and the provision of cell phone connectivity to the area. Through the Lowa Alliance, 115 development projects are partially financed by a percentage of the project's operational expenses,” said Minister Professor Kotayk. He welcomed the diversification of the local economic activity, mining of minerals and regional economic growth the operation holds.

“Alphamin has the best tin ore body in the world, in a commodity with solid future prospects, managed by an experienced team, supported by well capitalised investors, who are astute industry specialists, in an area with abundant resources that is poised for rapid economic growth,” said Alphamin CEO Boris Kamstra.

He explained that progress at the project was on track and the development was about to enter the underground construction of the industrial mine development.

“The Bisie tin deposit is one of the largest and most significant tin deposits in the world. Construction activities commenced in Q3 2017 and first production of tin in concentrate is anticipated in Q1 2019 while the mine is anticipated to reach steady state production towards the end of 2019,” Boris Kamstra said.

The CEO stated that unlocking the potential of the mine held local and international benefit. “Future tin supply is globally uncertain as tin inventories are running low and economically viable tin reserves are being depleted. The International Tin Research Institute (ITRI) has forecast that there is likely to be a global shortfall of tin commencing in 2018,” he said.

There are a limited number of active industrial scale tin mines outside China and Indonesia and the majority of other new projects face significant technical, financing and other challenges, in addition obtaining the required permits to build new mines remain complex.

In explaining the significance of tin mining for global industry, Boris Kamstra said that tin mining companies should attract increasing interest from the owners of consumer brands and their manufacturers, who used tin in their products (laptops, mobile phones and cars). “Consumer companies will need to secure future supply. The Bisie tin deposit is one of the largest and most significant tin deposits in the world – providing the ideal foundation to build a premier tin producer on.”

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