Key Environmental Approvals Secured – Liberia
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- The Liberian Environmental Protection Agency has approved the Scoping Report and Terms of References for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment on the Liberian infrastructure to support the development of the Kon Kweni Iron Ore Project
- The Company will now proceed to finalise the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (“ESIA”) in Liberia for road, rail and port infrastructure
- The Infrastructure Concession and Access Agreement between Ivanhoe and the Government of Liberia is in final stages of negotiations – conclusion expected imminently
- The Concession and Access Agreement will provide the financial and technical framework for access to the existing Tokadeh – Buchanan rail line and Buchanan Port
- The Government of Liberia has confirmed that the rail line will be independently operated, multi-user and overseen by the National Rail Authority
Ivanhoe Atlantic Inc, a US domiciled Company, is pleased to confirm that it has received key approvals from the Republic of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency for the Scoping Report and Terms of References (“TOR”) under the ESIA process required for the infrastructure component of its Phase 1 development of the Kon Kweni Iron Ore Project (“Kon Kweni”).
The Liberian TOR approval represents a critical step in advancing the project’s broader environmental and social approvals and confirms the scope, methodology, and key issues to be addressed during the ESIA process. The Company is also finalising the ESIA process in Guinea, which is expected to be concluded in the latter part of 2025.
Ivanhoe Atlantic President and CEO Bronwyn Barnes commented:
“We are very pleased that our working relationship with the Government of Liberia continues in a transparent and professional manner with key approvals of the Terms of Reference and Scoping Documents for the ESIA received in such a timely manner.
The body of work associated with lodging the Terms of Reference is significant and we are pleased to have worked collaboratively with our local communities and government stakeholders to finalise this first part of the process. We remain committed to developing Kon Kweni to international best practice standards and are confident that the work we have completed to date demonstrates this commitment. We look forward to commencing construction activities at Kon Kweni later in 2025.”
Kon Kweni Phase 1 Development
The Phase 1 development of Kon Kweni provides for an initial production of 2 – 5Mtpa of iron ore and will require the development of road, rail and port infrastructure in Liberia to connect to the existing Tokadeh – Buchanan rail line with export through the port of Buchanan.
The Phase 1 infrastructure plan for Liberia will involve (see Diagram 1):
- Construction of approximately 46kms of upgraded road infrastructure to support truck transport of iron ore from Guinea to the rail line at Tokadeh
- Construction of a new rail siding at Tokadeh along with stockpile and rail loading facilities
- Access to the existing Tokadeh to Buchanan rail line
- Construction of new rail siding and stock-pile facilities at Buchanan Port along with ship loading facilities at a dedicated port berth
Investment into the development of Liberian infrastructure under Ivanhoe Atlantic’s Phase 1 plans will total approximately US$50m and provide circa 470 Liberian jobs during the construction phase and an estimated 370 jobs during the operations phase.
The ESIA currently being prepared will consider all potential environmental and social impacts of the development and operations phase of the Project and will include extensive consultation with local community and key stakeholder groups. The ESIA process will be led by Earthtime Inc., one of Liberia’s leading EPA-certified environmental and social consulting firms, with support from the Ivanhoe Liberia and Ivanhoe Atlantic teams.
Diagram 1 – Proposed Phase 1 Kon Kweni Mine and Infrastructure Development
Further information or media contact:
media@ivanhoeatlantic.com
www.ivanhoeatlantic.com
