On April 14, 2025, Katamba Mining—70% owned by China’s Zijin Mining—launched a tender to recruit a subcontractor to build and operate a crushing plant.
The facility will produce gravel and sand for the Mpiana-Mwanga III hydroelectric project, located more than 90 km northeast of Manono in Tanganyika Province. Bids must be submitted by April 22.
The selected contractor will be responsible for setting up temporary infrastructure, constructing the production system, mobilizing equipment and personnel, organizing site logistics, transporting materials, managing waste disposal, preparing technical reports, and performing maintenance.
This development follows the rehabilitation of the first two phases of the nearly century-old Mpiana-Mwanga plant, which had been inactive since 1998.
In December 2024, Katamba Mining announced it had invested $80 million to restore the facility and increase its capacity by 30%, bringing it to 40 MW.
However, during a site visit in March 2025, MP John Banza Lunda reported that only the first turbine was operational, generating 4 MW.
While full technical details remain limited, Katamba’s second-largest shareholder, the Congolese state-owned Cominière, estimated in January that the new plant would ultimately reach a capacity of 150 MW, with the entire complex potentially approaching 200 MW once fully operational.
Powering the Manono Mine
According to the tender documents, the crushing plant is expected to be completed between May 1, 2025, and January 31, 2027. “Recommissioning Mpiana-Mwanga as a renewable energy source ensures reliable power for the Manono mine, local processing plants, and nearby communities,” said Zijin Mining Vice President James Wang during the plant’s rehabilitation handover.
The hydroelectric power boost is essential to support operations at the Manono mine, which hosts one of the world’s largest high-grade lithium deposits. Zijin plans to commence production in the first quarter of 2026.
The Mpiana-Mwanga rehabilitation was initially part of a feasibility study led by AVZ Minerals, the former joint venture partner of Cominière.
However, that partnership dissolved in 2022 amid escalating disputes. AVZ is currently contesting the matter before the International Court of Arbitration.
