Congolese Company Ships First Locally Processed Germanium to Belgium

Société du Terril de Lubumbashi (STL), a 100% subsidiary of Générale des carrières et des mines (Gecamines), is set to export the first shipment of germanium concentrate processed entirely within the Democratic Republic of Congo. This milestone marks the first time germanium from the slag at the Lubumbashi Terril has been locally processed and exported, according to a press release from the Ministry of Mines.

The initial batch of germanium concentrate will be shipped to Umicore Group in Belgium, a non-ferrous metals production and recycling company, for further refinement and use in high-tech applications. Previously, germanium from the Lubumbashi Terril reached the market through third-party refiners located outside the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now, however, it is being processed by STL's newly constructed hydrometallurgical plant.

The recycled germanium from STL is a strategic metal used in sectors such as space, aerospace, and optical technologies, and is set to become an important global supply source. This achievement was made possible through the processing expertise and support provided by Umicore, with whom STL and Gecamines signed a technological and commercial partnership on May 8, 2024.

The partnership aims to scale up the production of recycled germanium at STL's Lubumbashi facility and to ensure Umicore's purchase of the produced concentrate. Since June, Umicore experts have been on-site in Lubumbashi, assisting STL staff with the production start-up of the germanium processing circuit at this unique facility—the only one of its kind in Africa. This collaboration has led to the successful export of the first batch of germanium concentrate, with more shipments expected to follow to Umicore's industrial facilities in Belgium.