Lindian builds a 125,000-tonne runway to Kangankunde concentrate

Ore stockpile moves commissioning off the critical path

Lindian Resources Limited (ASX:LIN) has built a 125,000-tonne ore stockpile at Kangankunde ahead of schedule, giving the Malawi rare earths project a substantial feedstock buffer as it moves from construction towards commissioning. The company says first ore introduction and first monazite concentrate remain targeted for the end of 2026.

The Stage 1 pit is open, 14 production blasts have been completed and drill-and-blast work, haulage and grade-control sampling are continuing. Lindian describes the stockpile as a deliberate execution measure intended to ensure mining is not on the commissioning critical path and to support a controlled plant ramp-up. That remains a company target rather than a guaranteed production outcome.

Plant construction turns to systems and commissioning

Construction is now running around the clock, with work increasingly concentrated on mechanical installation, piping, electrical reticulation and instrumentation. Civil works in the SAG mill area are nearing completion, the thickener is installed, and structural and mechanical work is advancing across the gravity separation circuit, including the shaking table, MGS, LMIS and WHIMS areas.

The company says Practical Completion of the Stage 1 process plant is on track for December 2026. Bulk earthworks at the tailings storage facility are complete, although toe-dam lining and associated piping remain outstanding. The 33kV overhead powerline is complete, with transformer installation and site energisation planned for October, a step required for motor testing, control-system work and progressive plant commissioning.

Malawi workforce and infrastructure expand

Mining Minister Thoko Tembo visited Kangankunde on 23 September, touring the pit, ROM pad, process plant and tailings facility before initiating the project’s 14th production blast. Lindian says more than 85% of its direct workforce is Malawian, while the wider construction workforce exceeds 3,000 people, the substantial majority of whom are Malawian nationals.

The Tipume accommodation camp is fully operational, with its second phase increasing capacity from 90 to 130 personnel. The administration precinct, medical clinic, access infrastructure and solar installation are also operating. The company expects the expatriate workforce to reduce progressively as local skills develop, though the announcement does not quantify the timing or scale of that transition.

Executive pay rises alongside project expansion

Separate from the construction update, Lindian approved annual base salaries of A$1 million each for Executive Chairman Robert Martin and Executive Director Zac Komur, effective 1 July 2026. The figures exclude director fees of A$156,000 and superannuation. The board said an independent review and benchmarking against comparable ASX-listed companies found their previous arrangements no longer reflected the scope and complexity of their roles.

The remuneration change comes as Lindian presents itself as more than a single-project developer, with Kangankunde approaching production and the company pursuing downstream processing through its wholly owned SARECO facility in Kazakhstan. The announcement does not provide a quantified estimate of the salary increases’ effect on project costs, cash flow or shareholder returns.