The Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Gas, Republic of Angola, has announced a change in the dates for the highly anticipated 2nd edition of the Angola International Mining Conference and Exhibition (AMC) scheduled to take place at the Centro de Convenções Talatona (CCTA) in Luanda, Angola. Originally set to take place on November 22nd to 23rd, the conference has been postponed by a day and will now take place from the 23rd and 24th of November due to technical considerations.

The event is centered around the theme “Mineral Resources: Development, Sustainability, and Challenges,” which mirrors the government’s commitment to diversify the nation’s mineral resources, enhance the mineral landscape, and attract further foreign investment.

The opening ceremony will be graced by his Excellency, Hon. Mr. Diamantino Azevedo, Minister Mineral Resources and Petroleum and Gas (MIRIEMPET), Angola who will deliver the keynote speech.

One of the key sessions will explore “Angola’s Vision for Sustainable Mineral Resource Development.” This session will unveil Angola’s proactive stance towards mineral resource development and its dedication to revitalizing the mining sector. It aims to promote stability and transparency to instill confidence in international investors. The insightful session will be moderated by the Secretary of State for Mineral Resources (MIREMPET) Jânio da Rosa Corrêa Victor and will hear from major diamond companies SODIAM E.P, ENDIAMA as well as representatives of the Angolan National Agency for Mineral Resources (ANRM) and Mining Industry Association of Southern Africa (MIASA).

The conference will divulge into significant topics one of which will address the “Current State of Mining in Angola” which will feature insights from Dr. Luiz Bizzi, Co-Chairman and Director of Lipari Diamond Mines Ltd and Asareh Monsoori, General Manager of Minbos Resources and HM Granitios. Additionally, the “Challenges of the International Diamond Market” will be explored in a dedicated session. The conference will also cover “Environmental Social and Governance considerations” and will hold an in-depth session around “Attracting Investment and Business Opportunities” in Angola’s mining sector.

Investors and players in Angola’s mining industry will join an array of diverse mining sessions to discuss strategic development projects, partnerships, and investment opportunities in Angola that are driving innovation and sustainable practices in the mining industry.

The 2023 Angola International Mining Conference and Exhibition is poised to set new records with an impressive number of participants and an array of esteemed exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and represented countries.

With the event just around the corner, preliminary statistics paint a promising picture:

• 600 Participants: The inaugural event drew in 600 participant, AMC 2023 is expected to draw a similar audience of industry professionals, investors gov officials and innovators.
• 60 Distinguished Speakers: A lineup of 60 accomplished speakers will share their expertise, providing valuable insights into the mining industry’s current and future trends.
• 15 sponsors: CATOCA, Sodiam E.P. ANMR, HM Group, Lipari Diamond Mines Ltd, Tchitengo Mining, Sociedade Mineira do Furi, MAQTOOLS, MAQMAN , Cimertex Angola, Tosyali, Minbos Resource Ltd, Sonangalp ,Ozango Minerais SA and Tyranna Resources Ltd. have lent their support to uphold the exploration of nation’s mining industry.
• 13 Exhibitors: A notable 14 exhibitors will showcase their offerings, adding valuable insights and products to the event’s landscape.
• 7 Represented Countries: As of now, seven countries will be represented at AMC 2023, fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The 2nd edition of the Angola Mining Conference will mark a significant milestone in advancing the nation’s development of its mining industry.

For more information about the conference, including registration details and the full agenda, please visit: www.amcangola.com.

Atlas Copco Group launched a new identity, including a new Group logo, a new visual identity, and a new Group message: Technology that transforms the future.

The current blue and white Atlas Copco brand and logo will continue to be used on products and services, in the same way as other brands in the Group use their respective logos. This includes around 50 brands such as Edwards, Isra, Leybold, LEWA and Chicago Pneumatic, which all have their distinct identity and unique value proposition.

“We have many strong brands driving the success of our business, and decentralization remains an important part of our strategy,” said Mats Rahmström, President and CEO of the Atlas Copco Group. “Going forward, the new Atlas Copco Group brand becomes the umbrella for all brands in the Group, including Atlas Copco. This will enable our brands to maintain their individuality, while we at the same time can increase the focus on the power of being part of something bigger.”

The new Group message: “Technology that transforms the future,” is there to reflect the Group’s contribution to society at large.

“Our customers are often at the forefront of transforming their industries and driving development forward, and we support them by increasing their productivity, safety, quality, and energy efficiency,” said Mats Rahmström. “It is our technology and people who make the difference in the Atlas Copco Group.”

Atlantic Lithium Ltd., the African-focused lithium exploration and development company targeting to deliver Ghana’s first lithium mine, announces that on 7 November 2023, the Company’s major shareholder Assore International Holdings Ltd. presented a conditional and non-binding offer (“NBIO”) to acquire all of the shares in the Company that it does not already own, pursuant to a scheme of arrangement, at an offer price of £0.33 per share (A$0.63).

Following careful consideration, the NBIO was rejected by the Atlantic Lithium independent board committee, which was established to consider the approach from Assore. The NBIO follows an earlier approach from Assore on 2 October 2023 at an identical offer price of £0.33 per share (A$0.63; “Prior NBIO”), that was similarly rejected by the Atlantic IBC.

Shareholders of the Company do not need to take any action in respect of the NBIO or the Prior NBIO.

Rejected offer not considered to be in the best interests of Shareholders

The Atlantic IBC and its advisers gave careful consideration to both the NBIO and Prior NBIO, and determined in each instance that it undervalued Atlantic Lithium and, therefore, was not in the best interests of shareholders, having regard to the near-term producer status of the project, the status of the pending investment from the Minerals Income Investment Fund and the positive near-term outlook for lithium project developers.

Conditions of the rejected NBIOs

The NBIO and Prior NBIO were both subject to a number of conditions before they would become binding, including the Atlantic Lithium board unanimously recommending the offer, providing exclusive due diligence to Assore’s satisfaction, Foreign Investment Review Board approval and entry into a definitive and mutually acceptable scheme implementation agreement.

Market cleansing

In order for the Company to cleanse the market ahead of a proposed issue of equity interests to the Minerals Income Investment Fund, as well as other potential equity issues to satisfy existing employee performance plans, Atlantic Lithium is making this announcement to provide details of the approaches received and rejected by the Atlantic IBC. Atlantic Lithium advises that the relationship with Assore remains supportive and constructive.

There is no certainty that a further proposal will be received (from Assore or any other third party) and shareholders are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon such a proposal emerging. The Company remains focused on progressing its activities to maximise value for all shareholders.

The Company will continue to keep the market informed of any material developments in accordance with its continuous disclosure requirements.

The Atlantic IBC appointed Canaccord Genuity Limited (Australia and UK) as its financial adviser and HopgoodGanim Lawyers as its legal adviser.

“Assore, a major African mining company, has been a leading investor and key contributor to the Company’s success since its listing in London in 2015. We look forward to maintaining our strong relationship with Assore as we progress Ewoyaa towards production.” Neil Herbert, Executive Chairman of Atlantic Lithium

The steel industry in Tanzania has seen some exciting growth in recent years, driven by segments such as construction, mining, and governmental infrastructure projects. But it also comes with a caveat, the industry’s expansion is putting considerable strain on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Looking at the industry, Iron Ore deposits in the Jombe region remain unexploited. Instead, the steel value chain begins with imported steel billets or scrap steel which is converted into ingots and further processed into a variety of long and flat steel products. And driving this growth is the demand for reinforced steel bars and steel roofing sheets.

The Tanzanian government, together with its investment arm, the National Development Corporation (NDC) has introduced ambitious plans to tap into the iron ore deposits in the Southern Highlands region of the country. This includes attracting investment in the Liganga and Mchuchuma iron ore ventures.

Energy management can overcome hurdles

As the Tanzanian steel industry currently stands, it needs to find solutions to a few challenges to stay on this growth trajectory.  For one, the industry continues to grapple with the high cost of raw materials as well operational inefficiencies. This is further exacerbated by the high cost of energy and resultant, previously mentioned, strain on the country’s infrastructure.

This is where the role of energy management comes into play. Efficient energy management reduces production costs whilst increasing operational efficiency, enhancing the steel industry’s competitiveness and profitability.

Energy management solutions, for example, monitor energy consumption across various sections of a plant. This allows for the proactive tracking of energy usage, enabling manufacturers identify areas where energy can be conserved, and costs minimised.

Tanzanian governmental regulatory bodies and non-governmental organisations are also exerting pressure on steel manufacturers to reduce pollution and minimise their environmental footprint. As a result, the industry is moving towards practices such as energy management to establish cleaner and more sustainable practices.

Schneider Electric can play an important role in steering Tanzania’s steel industry towards greener and more sustainable practices. Our solutions that include EcoStruxure Power Management Expert (PME) and EcoStruxure Power Optimiser (EPO) can assist manufacturers in maximising uptime and operational efficiency.

The solutions offer the following benefits:

• Energy benchmarking to reveal opportunities for improvement.
• Trending and energy modelling to identify abnormal energy usage.
• Avoiding power factor and peak demand penalties and identifying billing errors.
• Enabling participation in demand response programs.
• Allocating costs to specific departments or processes for accountability.
• Analysing equipment performance for proactive maintenance.
• Identifying unused system capacity to avoid overbuilding.

The Tanzanian steel industry is at a critical juncture, with a growing demand for steel products and the need for a greener, more sustainable future. Energy management practices, offer a path to address these challenges.

A rapid overhaul of global energy systems is critical to contain the climate crisis – with the renewable energy sector will play a central role, but without squandering public trust by fuelling further harms to people and planet. However, the 2023 Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark, published today (15 November 2023), found that while the sector has made progress in adopting broad human rights policies, it falls woefully short in addressing critical human rights risks and harms.

Published by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, the Benchmark assessed and scored the human rights policies and practices of 28 leading companies across the renewable energy supply chain, including wind and solar project developers, oil and gas companies entering into renewables, and wind turbine and solar panel manufacturers. Although there has been some progress in the adoption of broad human rights policies by the sector, it is far from ready to deliver a fast and fair transition that builds public support and delivers shared benefit.

Instead, the 2023 Benchmark highlights notable gaps between policy and practice, and dangerous shortcomings regarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights, land rights, and forced labour, in particular. Time is of the essence to reverse these trends if the renewable energy sector is to avoid the same risks and abuse that plagues the traditional energy industry.

Key findings from the 2023 Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark included:

• All companies scored poorly (an average of 1%) in respect of their responses to all serious human rights allegations included in the Benchmark.
• Policies and practices on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and land rights remain poor, despite these rights being the subject of the highest number of serious allegations.
• No company currently publicly discloses its full solar panel supply chain, resulting in scores of 0% across the board for this indicator.
• Solar panel manufacturers lag significantly on human rights commitments and practices compared with wind energy equipment manufacturers.
• In examples of better practice, eight companies have policies in place specifically to respect the rights of environmental defenders, showing progress of the sector at policy level in a critical area.

Overall, the Benchmark revealed clear frontrunners among the 28 companies assessed, who are demonstrating what is possible by the renewable energy sector. These efforts must be supported by smart government regulation and incentives, alongside investor engagement, to level the playing field and ensure the renewable energy sector secures public trust and avoids harms to communities and workers.

Phil Bloomer, Executive Director, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said, “This benchmark is a loud wake-up call to this critical sector. It highlights the risks companies are generating for themselves, workers, communities and the urgent transition to clean energy. Leading companies are beginning to get their house in order and demonstrate that building public trust by creating shared prosperity and avoiding abuse is both profitable and a moral imperative. But the many laggard companies need to urgently change key aspects of their business model if they seek stable and cooperative investment environments with communities and workers. Their long-term profits, and the fate of our planet, depend on decisive action.

“Unsustainable inequality is, arguably, the single greatest obstacle to a fast transition. Well-designed clean energy transitions will ensure communities and workers feel direct benefit and lend public trust. But without responsible business conduct, there is a profound danger the distribution of benefits are skewed to the wealthy and powerful, and the costs and risks to the majority and vulnerable.”

Caroline Avan, author of the report and Senior Researcher at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “While we have identified several key areas of progress by the sector, the Benchmark highlights that the pace of change by industry must now increase rapidly. As is, the gap between policy and practice is simply too large. The broad range of scores recorded highlights profound differences in performance between leaders and laggards – but also that company prioritisation of human rights is both possible and profitable.

“Building public support also means companies must be transparent on the toughest issues the sector is facing – including forced labour. This requires departing from business-as-usual approaches and pursuing assertive, corrective action, like solar supply chain transparency. The energy transition also offers unique opportunities for the most progressive companies willing to co-construct the sector with local communities and Indigenous groups to generate sustainable shared prosperity.”

As global exploration intensifies the drive for resources to service the energy transition, the first DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum was held in Kinshasa to consider how to leverage the emerging opportunities.

Dominique Sambwa, chairman of SRK Consulting Congo, was present at the event with SRK colleagues from the Lubumbashi office as well as from SRK’s South Africa and China practices. Sambwa highlighted that a key focus of the forum was on the downstream beneficiation potential for the region, which DRC and Zambia hope to exploit through a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). DRC and Zambia produce over 70% of the world’s cobalt and 10% of global copper. According to the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa, the two countries are in a unique position to move from exporters of raw materials to becoming manufacturers of battery precursors – the material at the final step before becoming a cathode.

Collaboration

“It is encouraging to see the collaboration of governments at this level,” said Sambwa. “There is much interest in the outcome of the prefeasibility study which is underway to consider battery manufacturing in a SEZ shared by DRC and Zambia.”

He said there was little doubt that the presence of mineral resources like copper, cobalt, lithium and nickel made the region a focus of attention for the energy transition. However, the forum highlighted that there was still a great deal to be done in preparing the way for the necessary mining and industrial investment.

“The SEZ could provide the necessary impetus to put certain conditions in place so that key investors could be attracted to initiate the process towards battery manufacturing,” he said.

Resources identified

According to Lindsay Shand, associate partner and principal environmental geologist at SRK Consulting, a number of resource areas for lithium have been identified, with large mining organisations already involved at different stages of the permitting and mining process.

“The resource potential and mining aspects are fairly well known, and there are certainly opportunities to pursue,” said Shand. “Delegates at the forum raised the need for the DRC government to improve services and amend tax laws to encourage mining and associated industries. Delegates and presenters at the forum motivated for the government to make access to industry easier, and to provide greater incentive for investment in the DRC.”

Pengfei Xiao, managing director of SRK China, explained that SRK was already assisting clients with managing their exploration standards in relatively new mining areas like Manono, and was also guiding them on environmental, social and governance (ESG)  aspects. The forum had reiterated the importance of international standards to ensure that benefits of mining can flow through to local communities.

Green value chain

She said mining company representatives at the forum also considered the green value chain, highlighting the need to re-establish hydroelectric power generation units to allow for the use of green energy in the mining process.

“Presenters representing mining houses commented on the need to support the agricultural sector to grow more food for increased numbers of staff in mines and associated industries,” she said. “There was also a focus on how the DRC could develop skills to support mineral processing and battery manufacturing – and the need to improve revenue generation through secondary and tertiary manufacturing activities.”

Sending signals

Xiao said the forum sent a strong signal from the DRC government that the country wanted to build in-country capability for battery manufacture. The event was a useful opportunity for stakeholders to highlight what needed to be done to make this possible.

“Among the main areas discussed was energy generation, infrastructure improvements and new policies and laws,” said Xiao. “It was an important beginning to what will be a long process, but the delegates were able to start discussing the main concepts.”

He noted that the mining and industrial developments envisaged during these discussions would all need to be planned and implemented in alignment with international standards – in a range of fields from mineral exploration, water management and ESG considerations. The SRK Congo office is already working closely with SRK South Africa and SRK China to share capacity and collaborate on DRC projects. Sambwa concurred that ESG would be a central aspect of the future developments.

Effective governance

“Governance really matters,” he said. “SRK is making our expertise available, to work closely wherever possible with governments and other players in paving the way for effective and transparent governance.”

With the battery metals space being, by its nature, oriented towards green energy and electric vehicles, Shand noted that it made sense for DRC and the region to work towards renewable sources of power, as part of ensuring that mining operations could operate with lower carbon emissions.

“The ESG aspects of battery metals mining and battery manufacturing therefore should be emphasised in policy and practice by stakeholders,” she said.

Hydro-power

Sambwa noted that the DRC has an installed capacity of more than 2 500 MW of hydro-electric power and in 2020 has produced more than 12 300 GWh, but with about 15% of electrification rate the country remained short of an equivalent amount despite an estimated potential capacity to produce 100 000 MW on the Congo River.

“Government is encouraging mining companies to help establish hydro-power sources,” he said. “However, while there are some areas where small hydro schemes from 50-100 MW could be feasible, these are often inaccessible or too far from the national grid.”

Need for strategy and sustainability

Andrew van Zyl, managing director of SRK South Africa, noted how the discussions were aligned with conferences and fora around the world. Globally, companies and other stakeholders are discussing how to mine materials that facilitate an energy transition and a move to sustainability while becoming more sustainable themselves.

SRK has been involved in facilitating discussions on what responsible sourcing means to different stakeholders in different regions. We are increasingly helping clients integrate their various strategic imperatives, including responsible sourcing, supply chain development and auditing, localisation, water stewardship, decarbonisation and continuing their focus on health, safety and human rights prerogatives.

Progress is being made on these complex, interrelated activities and this will benefit local communities. Mining companies for example promise to be a catalyst for development of renewable energy supply chains in new areas that are power hungry and also to facilitate development of infrastructure and agriculture to support these new operations. Importantly, mining companies are improving their ability to identify, quantify and mitigate the externalities associated with new operations.