LUANDA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Angola will start niobium exploration following the completion of prospecting work in Bonga, a village in the central Huila Province, local authorities said.
The large-scale project, covering about 400 square kilometers in the Bonga and Chivila mountains, is expected to start production by the end of the year after relocation and compensation for more than 400 families are completed, Quilengues municipal administrator Adriano Alberto Pedro said Wednesday.
He said all technical equipment has been installed and a qualified workforce secured.
Initial prospecting extracted about 40,000 tons of ore, and tests confirmed the mineral's high quality, paving the way for commercial production, Pedro said.
He said the project is expected to create hundreds of jobs, generate new tax revenue and boost related sectors such as services, trade and transport, and transform Quilengues into a new economic hub and contribute to Angola's industrial diversification.
Niobium is a strategic metal used in high-strength alloys and aerospace manufacturing due to its exceptional resistance to extreme temperatures. ■