Mining giant Rio Tinto announced that a mining project in South Africa worth $473 million will restart, potentially reinforcing the supply of globally sought minerals.
The Richards Bay Minerals’ Zulti South project has been halted for six years because of violent unrest including protests and extortion attempts, but the mining giant said relations with the local community and the security situation had now improved.
The operation in KwaZulu-Natal province is focused on extracting zircon, rutile, ilmenite, and titanium oxide — critical ingredients in products such as paint, sunscreen, and smartphones.
Construction is scheduled to start before the end of the month, reported Reuters, with commercial production expected to begin two years later.