Chinese firm plans two manganese plants and 800 jobs in Gabon
Inner Mongolia Xinchuang Metallurgical Co. Ltd, a silicomanganese producer, wants to mine manganese in Okondja and build two processing units in Gabon.
Inner Mongolia Xinchuang Metallurgical Co. Ltd plans to invest in mining and processing manganese in Gabon, with two industrial units planned: one for silicomanganese and one for ferromanganese. The company already takes 35% of its manganese from the Moanda mine in Gabon.
Mines Minister Sosthène Nguema Nguema visited the company's facilities in Wulanchabu, Inner Mongolia, on 8 November 2026 to check its technical capacity and environmental standards. Company officials say the investment could create about 800 direct jobs, 200 in mining and 600 in the processing units.
The company holds a manganese research permit in Okondja, in Haut-Ogooué, and will apply for an exploitation permit once resources are assessed. Construction of the processing units is planned to start in June 2027 and take two years, with production targeted for December 2027.