Andrada Mining’s annual tin ore processed for the third quarter ended February 2025 increased by 5.4% year-on-year to 965 058 tons and by 2.6% to 244 314 tons for the quarter, driven primarily by a higher throughput rate. The plant processing rate for the quarter was 141 tph, up from 130tph in Q3 FY2025 and 137tph in Q4 FY2024.
The increased throughput contributed to the 2.2% year-on-year increase in tin concentrate to 379 tons for the quarter.
The lower recovery rate in Q4 FY2025 was due to the necessary plant optimisation following the CI2 programme.
Consequently, the contained tin tonnage was 1.3% lower at 228 tons compared to the same quarter in FY2024. However, the higher recovery rate at 72% annually resulted in a 5.3% year-on-year increase in contained tonnage to 932 tons (FY2024: 884 tonnes).
The year-on-year tantalum concentrate annual and quarterly production doubled to approximately 51 and 10 tons, respectively.
Similarly, contained tantalum production increased to 5.4 tonnes in FY2025 and 1.1 tons in Q4 FY2025, driven primarily by the production ramp-up into Q1 FY2025.
The concentrate tonnage decreased in Q4 FY2025 compared to Q3 FY2025 due mainly to temporary plant outages, which were successfully resolved within the Quarter.
Annually, the recovery rate improved significantly to 4.5% (FY2024: 0.6%), benefiting from the reprocessing of previously produced concentrate.
The company produced about 46 tons and 128 tons of petalite from Uis ore for potential off takers in the quarter and FY2025, respectively.
Engagement with offtakers continued unabated in the quarter, as highlighted by a bulk sample shipped to Japan.
Andrada Mining received a US$1.5 million balance of the SQM participation fee in March 2025 after the Namibia Competition Commission approved the three-stage earn-in agreement to develop Lithium Ridge for SQM Australia (Pty) Ltd.
The CEO, Anthony Viljoen, says Andrada Mining delivered on significant objectives this quarter, including securing approval for the SQM earn-in agreement.
Viljoen says Andrada Mining continues demonstrating steady and sustainable growth across our tin operations, achieving higher tin concentrate tonnage and increased shipments this quarter.
“Our ongoing Continuous Improvement programme continues to yield positive results, with processing rates reaching 141, the highest level of the past five quarters,” Viljoen says.
