The concentrates will be shipped to Umicore in Belgium, which signed a deal with DRC state-owned miner, Gécamines, for the concentrates in May 2024.   

Belgium is the world’s largest secondary germanium producer, with all output attributable to Umicore.  The DRC feed represents a new source of sustainable germanium feedstock for the company, which has looked to phase out coal as a source for germanium in favour of direct recycling and sustainable sources such as mining waste streams. 

The concentrates are produced by STL, a joint venture between George Forrest International (GFI) (70%) and Gécamines (30%).  STL processes slag from the Big Hill slag heap in the DRC to extract copper, cobalt, zinc, and germanium.   

The potential capacity of the operation is somewhat unclear.  STL’s website suggests it may be able to satisfy 30% of the world’s germanium requirements, while in 2023, it was reported that Gécamines aims to produce 30tpy of germanium.  Project Blue estimates that the total germanium market was 166t in 2023. 

The shipment represents new ex-China supply of germanium feed which could have a considerable impact on the dynamics of a market characterised by high prices caused by stockpiling activities and trade restrictions. China’s export restrictions came into effect in August 2023, with the germanium value chain facing numerous challenges amid the geopolitically charged market. Recently, the Chinese government’s stockpiling efforts removed a substantial volume of available material from the market, resulting in Chinese metal prices reaching around US$2,500/kg.  

Should STL ramp up the operation significantly, China’s market share could be notably impacted over the coming years.