In this episode, we chat with Chris Griffith, CEO of Base Metals at Vedanta Resources, a global powerhouse of minerals, power, and energy companies within the group where these businesses have multiple subsidiaries within a portfolio of operations and projects comprising of operations in Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, Nickel, and Aluminium.

Chris has a wealth of experience in the mining industry and previously served as the CEO of Gold Fields and also two major mining business, Anglo American Platinum and Kumba Iron Ore. Now with Vedanta, he tells us more about the company and the demerger of its business into 6 separately listed companies. He also discusses the critical minerals space in general and the geo-politics impacting on the critical minerals industry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Vedanta Resources is planning to demerge into six separately listed companies, each focusing on specific commodities, which is expected to unlock substantial value.
• The base metals division of Vedanta, has significant growth plans, aiming to increase zinc and copper production to over a million tons each by 2030.
• Geopolitics is impacting the critical minerals industry, with countries like the US, Canada, and China focusing on securing critical mineral assets and investing in African mining projects.
• Vedanta's mines and processing plants are strategically located in favourable mining jurisdictions like South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, India, and the Middle East to capitalise on growth opportunities.
• Vedanta has made significant progress in ESG initiatives, ranking among the top three globally in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, showcasing their commitment to sustainability and responsible mining practices.

BEST MOMENTS

"I think the potential for Africa growth with the demand for critical minerals, and as we see the growth of the world needing growth in mining, you'll continue to see expansion of mining in Africa."

"We've already seen 100% growth in the share price in this past year. I think as the demerger happens, which I think is one of the key things to watch for, I think that's all lined up to happen."

"The real jewel in the crown is the fact that KCM, the Konkola copper mines in Zambia, which has been sort of under government control for the past five years, we announced at the end of last year that we had reached agreement with government and now just needed to go through the regulatory approval process."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Mail: rob@mining-international.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast

Web: http://www.mining-international.org

https://www.vedantaresources.com/

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

Podcast Description

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.

In this episode we chat to Marty Knauth, CEO of Zanaga Iron Ore Company (ZIOC) who are an iron ore exploration and development company with their flagship asset Zanaga Iron Ore Project which is located in the Republic of Congo.

I’ve known Marty for more than 10 years now and has a strong reputation for building teams, turning visions into reality and generally getting things done in numerous cultures and countries. He has recently joined Zanaga Iron Ore as CEO and joins us to talk about an exciting project he is leading in the Republic of Congo, some of the challenges the project is developing solutions for, and a general discussion about leadership in the minerals sector.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Marty has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, with a strong reputation for building teams and turning visions into reality in various countries and cultures.
• Zanaga Iron Ore Project in the Republic of Congo has a compelling investment case, with well-understood geology, low strip ratio, and a two-stage capital profile for hematite and magnetite processes.
• Clear and consistent communication has been key to building trust with the government of the Republic of Congo and other stakeholders, demonstrating the importance of integrity in relationships.
• The mining industry faces a major challenge in attracting and retaining skilled individuals with the right attitude and aptitude for the work, highlighting the need for better promotion of the industry's value.
• Zanaga Iron Ore is focused on partnerships and front-end engineering and design phase in the next 15-18 months, aiming for a construction decision in mid-2026 and commissioning in the first half of 2030 for the phase one hematite process.

BEST MOMENTS

"We need to work harder. We need to train harder. We need to communicate harder around that mining, materials management, bulk materials handling through quality products that we all, all of our raw feed goes into actually does make a difference to the planet."

"The key challenge is reminding people who Zanaga are, what we're about, and the scope and the scale of this project."

"Obviously, what you've been talking about is branding of our industry. And I suppose and I hear often that we're not good promoters of our own industry."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Mail: rob@mining-international.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast

Web: http://www.mining-international.org

https://www.zanagairon.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/zanaga-iron-ore-company-ltd/about/

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

Podcast Description

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.