A graphite mine operated by Australian company Syrah Resources is part of the strategic vision of the Mozambican government focused on the country’s industrialization, President Filipe Nyusi said on Thursday in Balama, Cabo Delgado province.

The head of state said during a visit to the mine that its commissioning, which represents an investment of US$250 million, puts Mozambique on the map of the world’s largest producers, with countries like China and Brazil, according to Mozambican newspaper Notícias.

Nyusi stressed that the mine started operating at a time when the national economy is facing challenges and reaffirmed that the government will continue to encourage the construction of infrastructure in order to reduce operating costs, promote development and improve the quality of life of the Mozambican population.

Syrah Resources chief executive Shaun Verner said that since the beginning of exploration and processing in November 2017, the mine has already produced more than 160,000 tons of graphite, much of which has already been exported through the port of Nacala, in Nampula province.

The mine, considered the world’s largest with a reserve of 114 million tons, has a life expectancy of 50 years.

The trip to the Balama mine is part of a four-day visit to the province of Cabo Delgado by the President of the Republic. source: macauhub