On April 15, 2025, Leone Rock Metal Group held a grand ceremony at the Tonkolili mine site in Sierra Leone to mark the completion of the 30 million mt magnetite beneficiation plant (Phase I) and the donation of the fourth tranche of the Community Development Assistance Fund. This event not only signifies a crucial step forward for the Group in resource development and industrial upgrading but also underscores the company's unwavering commitment to fulfilling its social responsibilities and supporting community development. Sierra Leone's President Bio, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Wang Qing, along with the Chief Minister, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, and other government officials attended the event in person. Leone Rock Metal Group's President Colin, CEO Zhao Ting, and Mine General Manager Gou Kunzhen, among other senior leaders, were also present. Meanwhile, community members from the chiefdoms of the Tonkolili project also witnessed this significant moment. During the ceremony, President Bio, Ambassador Wang Qing, the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, and Group CEO Zhao Ting delivered speeches respectively.
In his speech, President Bio stated that since its commissioning in 2021, Leone Rock Metal Group has continuously increased its investment in the Tonkolili region, actively promoting project construction and local employment, thereby significantly enhancing the country's economic vitality. Leone Rock Metal Group has currently provided over 8,000 direct jobs, with approximately 90% of them filled by local employees. He extended warm congratulations on the timely completion of the beneficiation plant project and commended the Group for its significant contributions to Sierra Leone's mining industry development, export earnings, and technological advancement.
The completed Phase I project is an important practice of the Group's strategy of "local processing of resources," with an annual raw ore processing capacity of 10 million mt. Upon full completion, the beneficiation plant will have an annual processing capacity of 30 million mt of magnetite, capable of producing 10 million mt of high-quality iron ore concentrates with a TFe grade of 66% annually. This will greatly enhance the Group's resource conversion efficiency and drive Sierra Leone's transformation from a "resource exporter" to a "mining processor."
During the ceremony on the same day, Leone Rock Metal Group also officially handed over the fourth tranche of the Community Development Assistance Fund, totaling 62.215 million new leones, to the Tonkolili region. This funding will continue to support livelihood projects such as infrastructure development, education, and agricultural development. To date, Leone Rock Metal Group has injected over $6 million into the Community Development Fund, truly fulfilling its promise of "benefiting the people through mining development."
Zhao Ting, CEO of Leone Rock Metal Group, stated, "We are deeply aware that the company's development cannot be achieved without the support of the community. In the future, Leone Rock will continue to drive employment through industries, give back to society through projects, and unwaveringly promote the improvement of people's livelihoods and sustainable development."
The successful holding of this completion and donation ceremony has further solidified Leone Rock Metal Group's leading position in Sierra Leone's mining sector and injected new momentum into deepening practical cooperation between China and Sierra Leone and promoting high-quality development of Africa's mining industry.
Leon Rock Metal Group has consistently upheld the core values of "respect, sharing, cooperation, and progress," deeply rooted in Sierra Leone, continuously advancing localization efforts, and committed to building a globally competitive and internationally influential comprehensive resource development enterprise. The Group will continue to work hand in hand with the government and communities as peers, jointly drawing a new blueprint for development and creating a new future of cooperation.
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