Ethiopia is looking to expand and modernise its tantalite industry to meet growing global demand for the metal with two major projects.

Tantalum is mainly used for capacitors in electronic equipment such as mobile phones, DVD players, video game systems and computers.

The country will increase output volume at its existing tantalite plant with the installation of new ore concentrating equipment. It also plans to build a new value-added facility, manufacturing products such as tantalum salt, powder, bar, sheets, wire, negate and niobium pentoxide. Both should be operational by 2015, according to Zerihun Desta, general manager of Ethiopian Mineral Development SC (EMDSC), a state-owned company engaged in mineral exploration and development. The new plant will be located 500 km from the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, adjoining the country’s largest tantalum mine in Kenticha in the Oromia regional state. The new concentrating equipment is especially critical, given that Ethiopia suspended...Read the complete story from Metalbulletin.com