Name of the Project
Monte Muambe rare earths and gallium project. 

Location
Tete province, north-western Mozambique. 

Project Owner/s
Junior exploration and critical minerals company Altona Rare Earths (51%). 

Project Description
A scoping study has proposed the openpit mining of Target 1 and Target 4 over a life-of-mine of 18 years.

An estimated 750 000 t/y of ore is planned to be extracted and processed through a beneficiation plant to produce a rare-earth concentrate. The beneficiation process will include crushing, milling and flotation.

The concentrate will be processed through a hydrometallurgical plant to produce an average of 15 000 t/y of mixed rare-earth carbonate. The hydrometallurgical process will involve a weak acid gangue leach, followed by rare earths leaching and purification.

The mixed rare earth carbonate product will be packaged and transported by existing road infrastructure to the Port of Beira, in Mozambique, for export.

Altona states that Monte Muambe hosts a maiden Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mineral resource estimate of 13.6-million tonnes at 2.42% total rare-earth oxides. 

Potential Job Creation
Not stated. 

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $283.3-million and an internal rate of return of 25%, with a payback of 2.5 years.

Capital Expenditure
Initial capital expenditure is estimated at $276.3-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Altona Rare Earths announced on March 24, 2026, that final assay results from the 2025 drilling campaign had confirmed high-grade, near-surface fluorspar and gallium mineralisation. The company said all outstanding assays had now been received, clearing the way for preparation of the mineral resource estimate for the fluorspar and gallium component of the project. 

The results included a record fluorspar intercept of 30 m at 42.5% calcium fluoride (CaF₂) from surface in hole MM156. Altona said the weighted average grade of significant fluorspar intercepts was 30% CaF₂, in line with grades typically mined in commercial openpit fluorspar operations. At Monte Muambe, fluorspar is contained as an accessory mineral in the rare earths ore, and ongoing metallurgical studies are also aimed at extracting this fluorspar as a by-product of rare earths.

The company also reported that gallium mineralisation returned wide and consistent intercepts, with a weighted average grade of 63 g/t gallium oxide, exceeding its predrilling expectations. Gallium metallurgical testing is under way to assess recovery potential from fluorspar tailings. 

The company noted that the 2025 drilling campaign covered only about 40% of the surface area of identified soil gallium and fluorspar anomalies, leaving additional upside for further drilling. 

Altona said it had received a $1.875-million grant from the US Trade and Development Agency to advance the rare earths project through the prefeasibility stage. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Altona Rare Earths CEO Cédric Simonet, tel +44 7778 866 108 or email cs@altonare.com.