LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Firering Strategic Minerals reported progress in scaling up production at its Limeco quicklime operation in Zambia on Friday, following successful upgrades to its first kiln and ongoing work to bring additional units online.
The AIM-traded company said Kiln 1 had been fitted with a new induced draft fan motor and variable speed drive, enabling stable throughput of 45 to 50 tonnes per day.

Refurbishment of Kiln 2 was underway, with hot commissioning expected in the coming months, while similar upgrades were planned for Kilns 3 and 4 as Firering targeted eventual output of 600 to 800 tonnes per day across its eight-kiln plant.

Firering noted a strong sales pipeline, with buying interest across all product categories sufficient to support further expansion, and said it had secured its first sale of lower-grade quicklime, creating a new revenue stream from previously unsaleable material.

It said it had also appointed an in-house salesperson with extensive local experience to drive growth and was assessing further product lines for regional markets.

Looking ahead, feedstock was currently being drawn from a stockpile of more than 150,000 tonnes, but with a newly awarded mining licence in place, Limeco was planning to start mining its Tier 1 limestone deposit in the fourth quarter of 2026.

"We are delighted with the progress at Limeco, which gives us confidence as we roll out the plan to bring further kilns online," said chief executive Yuval Cohen.

"A strengthening sales pipeline with a more diverse product range firmly puts Limeco on track to become a leading supplier of high-quality quicklime to the region."

At 1347 BST, shares in Firering Strategic Minerals were down 19.05% at 1.7p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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