(Ecofin Agency) - Mining company Volt Resources announced today that it applied for mining exploration licenses for its Bunyu graphite project, in Tanzania. Applications are for the mine’s two development stages.

The first stage concerns the implementation of a processing capacity of 400,000 tons per year for 20, 000 tons of graphite produced yearly. This processing capacity will be increased to 3.8 million tons per year during the second stage while the annual output will reach 170,000 tons.

The company has already submitted a request for the approval of the project’s environmental and social impact study, by the national environmental management council. The permit’s issuance is subjected to the approval of this study.  

Bunyu Project hosts the largest graphite deposit in Tanzania with a resource of 461 million tons at a grading of 4.9% of graphite. It would thus hold no less than 22.6 million tons of graphite.

Louis-Nino Kansoun