On April 20, 2026, good news came from Sierra Leone's new Tangkrili magnetite mine, with the cumulative total amount of raw ore shipped exceeding 10 million tons for the first time. This not only means that the annual mining and stripping task of 10 million tons in Phase I has been successfully achieved, but also injects strong power into the full load operation of the supporting beneficiation plant, marking the fruitful results of practical cooperation between China and Serbia in West Africa.

Smart Chain Production Capacity Closed Loop

Since the start of the project, the resource utilization efficiency has been strictly controlled, and the stripping ratio has been locked within 0.2. The average grade of the raw ore reaches 30%, and after processing, the grade jumps to 62% of high-quality iron concentrate powder, achieving maximum value. To break the time limit, the project adopts a 24-hour shift system, with three sets of 100 ton main equipment and multiple auxiliary mechanisms to establish a closed-loop system for blasting, mining, and transportation. In response to the challenges of cross-border maintenance, the team implemented a 250 hour small maintenance and 1000 hour large maintenance system, and the Chinese and local employees worked together to achieve an equipment attendance rate of over 94%. The innovative consignment system for spare parts allows core components to be used and retrieved at any time, significantly reducing capital occupation.

Localization and the Game of Heaven

The rainy season lasting for six months was once the biggest constraint, but the project achieved no decline in transportation volume during the rainy season by constructing intercepting ditches, laying anti slip layers of crushed stones, and establishing professional maintenance teams. The deeper breakthrough lies in the integration of people. Faced with the skill gap, nearly a hundred Serbian employees have mastered core skills such as excavator and mining truck driving through the mentorship mechanism. This deep localization management not only solves the labor shortage, but also leaves a technical team that cannot be taken away by the local area. Keywords: mining development, Africa

Standing at a new starting point of millions of tons, the project team has set its sights on the ambitious goal of requiring 20 million tons of raw ore annually. From a simple engineering builder to a technical standard exporter, China Railway First Group is reshaping the benchmark image of China's mining development on the African continent with its efficient performance capabilities.Editor/Cheng Liting