Marampa Mines Limited hosts Government of Sierra Leone delegation

at the mine following restart of operations

Lunsar, 4 February 2022: Marampa Mines Limited, (“MML”, “Marampa Mines” or “the Company”), a subsidiary of Gerald Group (“Gerald”),  yesterday hosted the Government of Sierra Leone (“GoSL”) at the Marampa mine site for an extensive tour and company presentation. Leading the GoSL delegation were Mr. Dennis K. Vandi – Hon. Minister of Finance, Mr Timothy Musa Kabba – Hon. Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Mr. Alpha Kanu – Hon. Resident Minister of the North-Western Region and Mr Julius Mattai – Director General of the National Minerals Agency.

Hon. Minister Kabba commented after the visit: “Today was an opportunity to meet Gerald/MML’s senior management team and staff, and see first-hand their impressive turnaround in the mine’s operations and their expansion plan. We would like to see more companies like MML invest in our minerals sector and help make Sierra Leone one of the most attractive destinations for doing business in West Africa. The skills and experience that Sierra Leoneans will gain through employment and training at the mine will give them an important role to play in our country’s development and growth.”

The GoSL delegation visited the mine, processing plant and Thofeyim River port terminal (TRT), after MML presented plans for the Company’s upcoming development and expansion, emphasising the importance of access to the rail and port infrastructure. Other topics discussed were local content programmes, key environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and operational updates. ESG initiatives discussed included MML’s large focus on lowering and offsetting its carbon footprint, training and development for women, medical outreach into communities targeting maternal and childcare, and agricultural development to minimise our imports and support sustainable livelihoods.

Hon. Minister Vandi added: “We were impressed to see that MML is building a sustainable and resilient project. Since the successful restart, Gerald is ramping up production of >65% iron ore concentrate from 2 million dmpta to 3.25 million dmpta. Looking ahead, we are pleased that Gerald is considering making further material investments of up to US$300 million in capital expenditure to fund the next stage of expansion to 7 million dmtpa, which upon completion will create additional revenues for Sierra Leone and its people”.

Craig Dean, Executive Chairman and CEO, Gerald Group, commented: “We take this opportunity to restate our appreciation for the strong support received from His Excellency President Bio’s government, during the negotiations and ratification of our Large-Scale Mining Agreement last December, and the restart of mining operations. I would like to reinforce that as our teams work on the many important priorities and objectives to create a sustainable and resilient mining operation, Sierra Leoneans will significantly benefit from MML’s growth and success.”

 

MML has completed loading 1 million WMT of Marampa Blue^TM >65% Fe iron ore concentrate onto 9 Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs). OGV 7 carrying 203,000 WMT of iron ore concentrate sailed in December and was a Newcastlemax (“M/V Trust Melbourne”), which is the largest dry bulk vessel to have departed from Sierra Leone.

 

Media enquiries: media@marampamines.com / media@gerald.com or view https://marampamines.com

About Marampa Mines Limited           

Marampa Mines Limited, a subsidiary of Gerald Group (“Gerald”), one of the world’s leading metals merchants, is engaged in the development and production of iron ore concentrate from compliant resources of approximately 1.7B tonnes at Marampa in the Port

 

 

Look District of the northern province of Sierra Leone. The Company, 90% owned by the Gerald Group, with the remaining 10% owned by the Government of Sierra Leone, is committed to being a globally competitive, world-class iron ore concentrate producer. Through sustainable investment, expertise and long-term commitment to the Marampa Project, MML aims to materially develop its production of >65% Fe quality iron ore concentrate, which is among the highest and purest grades in Africa and globally, and branded Marampa Blue^TM. The Company aims to be a significant contributor to Sierra Leone’s economy and to local communities. ESG initiatives are aimed at embracing the challenges relating to climate change, advancement of women, farming and education to build a better and sustainable future.