Almonty Industries (ASX: AII) has successfully delivered the first truckload of ore to the run-of-mine pad at its Sangdong mine in South Korea, marking a pivotal transition from early-stage mine development to active mining operations.
The milestone represents the final step before commencement of commercial production at what is historically one of the world's largest and highest-grade tungsten deposits.
The ore will now proceed to primary and secondary crushing, followed by grinding to achieve the particle size required for processing, before advancing to the flotation circuit where tungsten-bearing minerals are selectively separated, concentrated, dried, and packaged.
After stability and performance verification of the processing stages, the project will move to the production stabilisation phase as the mine advances toward full-scale commercial operation.
Supply Chain Diversification
Sangdong is playing a critical role in efforts by the US, the European Union, and Korea to diversify away from the domination of the market by China, which currently supplies more than 80% of the world's tungsten.
The mine is expected to provide at least 80% of global non-China tungsten production upon reaching full capacity, directly addressing critical supply vulnerabilities.
The resumption of production at Sangdong will return Korea to its historical role as a key supplier of tungsten.
With established operations in Portugal and additional projects in the US and Spain, Almonty sees itself as strategically positioned to meet demand from Western clients committed to supply-chain security and defense readiness.
Production-Level Conditions
Chief executive officer Lewis Black said the first truckload of ore represented a strategic inflection point in advancing Almonty’s mission to strengthen the global tungsten supply chain.
“The resumption of production at the Sangdong mine forms the foundation for securing reliable, non-China tungsten supply to key sectors such as defense, semiconductors, AI hardware, aerospace, and other high-technology industries,” he said.
"It will also support US defence procurement requirements mandating non-China tungsten sourcing after 2027 and reduce Korea's heavy dependence on Chinese tungsten oxide imports, significantly enhancing national resource security for the US and its allies."
The company’s general manager of processing operations Arif Priyambodo said the delivery provides direct confirmation that the run-of-mine pad is ready for operation and that haulage routes, equipment coordination and operator workflows are performing safely and effectively under production-level conditions.
"This successful verification demonstrates that the technical foundation of the Sangdong mine is now firmly established, enabling the commissioning of the crushing, milling, and flotation circuits to proceed as planned and supporting a smooth ramp-up toward full production." he said.
