MWE Correspondent
Chinese mining company Shenghe Resources has started construction of a major heavy mineral sands processing plant in Tajiri, Pangani District, Tanga Region, in a development expected to position Tanzania as a regional processing hub for mineral sands.
The company is developing the project as part of its wider heavy mineral sands operations in Tanzania. The new facility, known as a Mineral Separation Plant, is expected to process and add value to heavy mineral sands produced in Tanzania as well as raw materials sourced from other African countries.
The development was announced during a visit by Tanzania’s Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, to Shenghe’s operations, where he inspected ongoing activities related to mineral processing and value addition.
Shenghe Resources Board Chairman Xie Bing said the company has heavy mineral sands projects in several African countries, including Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar. However, he said Tanzania had been selected as the company’s strategic processing centre for the continent.
According to Bing, mineral sands from the company’s African operations will be brought to Tanzania for processing and value addition once the facility becomes operational.
He said the company had begun construction of the plant in Pangani and intended to complete the project within a short period.
Bing also praised the Tanzanian government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan for creating an investment environment that has encouraged Shenghe to expand its operations in the country.
Minister Mavunde welcomed Shenghe’s decision, saying the investment was in line with Tanzania’s policy and legal requirements promoting mineral beneficiation and value addition within the country.
He said establishing the processing plant would help create employment, increase government revenues and facilitate the transfer and development of mineral processing technology.
Mavunde directed Shenghe to ensure that construction of the plant is completed on schedule. He also instructed the company to complete compensation payments for the few remaining areas affected by the project.
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The Pangani development comes as Tanzania seeks to increase the amount of mineral processing carried out domestically instead of exporting minerals in less-processed forms.
The Ministry of Minerals says the Tajiri area in Pangani has an estimated 268 million tonnes of heavy mineral sands deposits, including approximately 74 million tonnes classified as proven resources. The project has been identified as one of Tanzania’s major strategic mineral developments.
The government previously said the Pangani project could become an important source of employment and government revenue, while also increasing Tanzania’s participation in the international heavy mineral sands value chain. In 2024, the Ministry said the project was expected to produce about eight million tonnes of heavy mineral sands annually, with the mine potentially operating for between 20 and 25 years based on the then-current resource estimates.
The development also represents a significant expansion of Shenghe’s mineral sands interests in Tanzania. Shenghe says its mineral sands business focuses on the beneficiation of zirconium, titanium, monazite and heavy mineral concentrates, while its broader international operations include rare earths, metals and mineral recycling.
The significance of the Pangani plant extends beyond the Tanzanian market. With Shenghe planning to bring mineral sands from other African projects to Tanzania, the facility could give the country a larger role in the regional mineral processing chain.
Recent reporting has indicated that Shenghe has identified Tanzania as a strategic processing centre for heavy mineral sands, including material from projects outside the country.
Heavy mineral sands contain commercially important minerals such as ilmenite, rutile and zircon, which are used in industries ranging from pigments and ceramics to advanced manufacturing and other industrial applications.
For Tanzania, the government’s broader strategy is to move from simply extracting mineral resources towards processing them locally. The Ministry of Minerals has said domestic beneficiation can create jobs, increase government revenue and strengthen local participation in mineral value chains.
If completed as planned, the Shenghe facility in Pangani could therefore become more than a processing plant for one mining project. It could serve as a regional platform through which mineral sands from different African operations are brought to Tanzania for separation, processing and value addition.
The development further strengthens Tanzania’s ambitions to establish itself as an important destination for mineral investment and processing as global demand grows for strategic and critical minerals.
