Lindian Resources Stockpiles 149,000t of Ore as Malawi Rare Earths Eyes December Output
Key Takeaways
- Lindian is holding its December 2026 target for first monazite concentrate at Kangankunde, with construction in its final stretch.
- Ore stockpiles have reached roughly 149,000 tonnes, up 19% from 125,000 tonnes in September 2026.
- Site energisation is targeted for the first week of November 2026, the step that unlocks motor testing and electrical commissioning.
- Separation steel is about 90% complete and shaking tables about 80%, but only 4 of 11 remote input/output panels are installed.
- Outbound concentrate logistics contracts covering rail, freight forwarding and sampling are still unsigned, a gap to close before first shipment.
Kangankunde on track for December 2026 first monazite concentrate
Lindian Resources (ASX: LIN) announced construction, mining and commissioning readiness are advancing at its Kangankunde Rare Earths Project in Malawi, with first monazite concentrate targeted for December 2026. For investors watching the path to rare earths production, the update shows the project moving from build phase towards staged commissioning.
The company says the project remains on schedule for first production. Here are the five headline points:
- Structural steel in the wet high-intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS) and MGS areas is approximately 90% complete, and the shaking tables are approximately 80% complete.
- The 33kV overhead line is commissioned to the transformer yard, and both 1,250 kVA plant transformers have returned to site.
- Ore stockpiles have reached approximately 149,000 tonnes, up approximately 24,000 tonnes, or 19%, from September 2026.
- Initial operating personnel are on board and operator training has commenced.
- Outbound concentrate logistics contracts are nearing finalisation.
Commissioning is the step where installed equipment is tested and brought into live operation. It is the stage that sits between construction and any product being sold, so progress here matters to the timeline.
Zac Komur, Executive Director
“Kangankunde is in the final stretch of construction. Our target is clear: first monazite concentrate in December…”
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Process plant and power milestones
Separation circuits taking shape
Installation of the regrind mill is complete, pumps are positioned in the separation circuits and piping installation is progressing. Together with the steel and shaking table progress, the mechanical side of the plant is moving towards completion.
On the electrical side, both motor control centres (MCCs) have been positioned, and four of the eleven remote input/output panels have been installed. The control room is being powered up, with programmable logic controller (PLC) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems progressing ahead of operator training and commissioning.
Power energisation targeted for first week of November 2026
Site energisation is targeted for the first week of November 2026. The 33kV overhead line has been commissioned to the transformer yard, and earthworks for the 4 MVA transformer yard are complete.
Both 1,250 kVA plant transformers completed factory acceptance testing in Malawi in accordance with ESCOM requirements and have returned to site. Civil works, H-pole installation and pole stringing are scheduled to commence on 19 October 2026.
Energisation matters because it enables progressive motor testing, activation of plant control systems and electrical commissioning ahead of first ore introduction. Until power is on, those steps cannot start.
Build progress snapshot
| Area | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Separation steel (WHIMS and MGS) | Approximately 90% complete | Complete remaining steel |
| Shaking tables | Approximately 80% complete | Complete remaining installation |
| Power | 33kV line commissioned to transformer yard; plant transformers returned to site | Civil works, H-pole installation and pole stringing from 19 October 2026; energisation targeted first week of November 2026 |
| MCCs and panels | Both MCCs positioned; 4 of 11 remote input/output panels installed | Motor supply cable connections and field instrumentation under way |
| Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) | Bulk earthworks complete | Remaining works scheduled for November 2026 |
Ore stockpile grows 19% as mining and infrastructure advance
Approximately 149,000 tonnes of ore is stockpiled on the run-of-mine (ROM) pad, up from approximately 125,000 tonnes reported in September 2026. The company notes the stockpile tonnage is derived from the existing Ore Reserve estimates.
Drilling from the top of the hill is now under way for the first time, opening additional mining faces. Grade control drilling and sampling continue to support ore definition and feed planning.
At the ROM pad, filling around the crusher foundation is complete. Final surfacing works are progressing ahead of construction of the ROM fingers required for commissioning feed.
Supporting infrastructure is also moving:
- Tailings Storage Facility: remaining works are scheduled for completion in November 2026.
- Return water dam: geotextile placement and drainage outfall pipe installation are complete, with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lining under way.
- Water supply: procurement of plant borehole pumps is in progress, with water supply infrastructure targeted for November 2026.
- Tipume Accommodation Camp: expansion is under way to support Stage 1 operations and future Stage 2 development.
- Other sites: the heavy mobile equipment (HME) workshop is substantially complete, while the fuel farm and on-site laboratory are progressing.
What is monazite concentrate and why commissioning matters
Monazite is a rare earth bearing mineral, and a concentrate is the product left after processing raises its grade. Lindian says it will produce a premium monazite concentrate at 55% Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) grade with no deleterious elements, with operating costs in the lowest cost quartile globally.
Commissioning follows a sequence set out in the announcement: site energisation, progressive motor testing and control system activation, then first ore introduction. For you as an investor, each step is a checkpoint on the way to the December target.
The company describes itself as fully funded to deliver on Stage 1 development, following its strategic partnership with Iluka Resources Ltd and institutional capital raisings. A Stage 2 Definitive Feasibility Study is in progress, and the SARECO Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) Processing Facility in Stepnogorsk, Kazakhstan, is described as a direct downstream pathway for Kangankunde concentrate.
The A$91.5 million capital raise completed in August 2026 sits alongside the Iluka partnership as the funding base for Stage 1 development at Kangankunde.
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Operational readiness and next steps
The first plant supervisor and two control room operators have commenced employment, with additional personnel scheduled to join in early November 2026. Operator training has commenced using completed standard operating procedures.
Key commissioning consumables, including flocculants, grinding media and concentrate bags, have been secured, with contingency supply arrangements in place. Outbound concentrate logistics contracts covering rail transport, freight forwarding and product sampling are nearing finalisation and are being prepared for execution ahead of first shipment, so they are not yet signed.
The announcement does not describe Lindian as a producer yet. Komur’s own words frame the goal as “becoming a rare earths producer.”
Key dates to watch:
- 19 October 2026: civil works, H-pole installation and pole stringing scheduled to commence.
- First week of November 2026: site energisation targeted.
- Early November 2026: additional personnel scheduled to join.
- November 2026: remaining TSF works and water supply infrastructure targeted for completion.
- December 2026: first monazite concentrate targeted.
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