Kinetic starts rutile production at Rotifunk in Sierra Leone

Published: Oct 07, 2026 16:34 (GMT+8)

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[SMM Titanium Flash] Kinetic Development has started a production line at its Rotifunk rutile project in Sierra Leone, which completed construction and commissioning and began production on October 1st. The company said phase one will comprise three lines: line two is scheduled to finish construction by mid-October and line three by early November. Together, the planned lines are designed to process about 6 million tonnes of run-of-mine ore a year and produce roughly 220,000 tonnes of heavy mineral sands annually; Kinetic forecasts about 26,000 tonnes in 2026.

The material is reported to contain 30%–45% rutile grading 95% titanium dioxide, alongside titanium concentrate and zircon sand. Initial sales will target Chinese titanium and zirconium processors, with Kinetic entitled to 80% of products and licence-holder Minenet to 20%. Only the first line is operating: the remaining capacity and 2026 output are company targets, not achieved production. The start adds a new titanium-feedstock source in Sierra Leone, while execution now depends on the next two lines reaching stable operation.

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