The Sierra Leone New Tonkolili 30 Million mt Magnetic Beneficiation Plant (Phase II) Project Completed and Commenced Production!

On April 29 local time, as hundreds of metric tons of magnetite ore were steadily conveyed to the feed inlet of the primary crushing station, equipment across all workshops of the beneficiation plant operated in synchronized coordination and started up smoothly. The New Tonkolili 30 Million mt Magnetic Beneficiation Plant (Phase II) project, constructed by China Railway No. 1 Group under China Railway Group Limited, was completed and put into operation in Sierra Leone.
The New Tonkolili mining area is located in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, covering an area of 408 square kilometers. It is one of the world's largest single magnetite mining areas by proven reserves, with currently proven reserves of 13.7 billion mt. In April 2025, the Phase I project was completed and put into operation; on January 22 this year, the Phase III project broke ground and is currently under construction.
The Phase II project broke ground in April 2025 and was completed in 11 months. With this phase now in operation, the raw ore processing capacity of the beneficiation plant will reach 20 million mt per year, significantly enhancing overall beneficiation processing capacity and production efficiency, and laying the foundation for large-scale and intensive operations. During construction, the project team established a "sea-rail-road" multimodal logistics support system, effectively overcoming the challenges of cross-border transportation of equipment and materials for projects outside China. The team also scientifically optimized construction organization plans, making full use of the prime dry-season construction window to maximize construction efficiency.
The completion and commissioning of the New Tonkolili 30 Million mt Magnetic Beneficiation Plant (Phase II) project represented a concrete embodiment of pragmatic cooperation in the mining sector between China and Sierra Leone. It promoted the upgrading of the local mining industry, cultivated local professional talent, and facilitated local industrialization.