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The company stated that during 2025, the Zanaga iron ore project completed the following core studies: direct reduced iron (DRI) product testing, pellet plant feasibility study, feasibility study for a single pipeline with an annual conveying capacity of 30 million tons, and a study on the construction of a concentrated dry tailings disposal facility. Research results indicate that by increasing product grade, the project is expected to achieve a potential revenue increase of approximately $11.33 billion during the first 30-year life cycle; simultaneously, capital expenditure savings are projected to reach $352 million, although adopting a single pipeline solution will increase the first-phase investment by $349 million, it can save the second-phase pipeline investment of $706 million; additionally, cumulative operating cost savings over 30 years are estimated to reach $2.24 billion.
Furthermore, the company also announced plans to release an integrated updated project economic assessment in February 2026. Key milestones for the next phase include front-end engineering design results, capital and operating cost estimates based on the DRI process, and a comprehensive development plan including logistics and infrastructure solutions.
The Zanaga iron ore project is located in the southwestern part of the Congo Republic, near the Gabon border, approximately 300 kilometers northeast of the port city of Pointe-Noire. The project is one of the world's largest iron ore reserves, with a JORC-compliant iron ore resource of 6.9 billion tons and an iron ore reserve of 2.1 billion tons. The project is planned for phased development, targeting an annual production of 30 million tons of pelletized fine powder, with an expected mine life of 30 years. Additionally, the Zanaga iron ore project also plans to produce 2 million tons per year of direct shipping iron ore (DSO).
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