Claim: Several news portals and social media posts claim the ArcelorMittal iron ore concentrator plant in Liberia is the largest in Africa.
Verdict: False. The publications claiming that the ArcelorMittal Liberia news concentrator plant opened in Nimba is the largest in Africa are false.
Full text
On June 5, 2025, ArcelorMittal Liberia inaugurated its new iron ore concentrator plant at the Tokadeh Mount in Nimba County, Liberia. Top government officials, including President Joseph Boakai, attended the event.
The plant has a production capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum.
Following the inauguration, several online publications, such as here, here, here, and here, have claimed that the plant is the largest in Africa.
Screenshot of the claims posted on X. Source: Face Zone Africa X account.
Besides attracting tens of thousands of reactions on social media, these posts have sparked debate in Liberia, especially as the company remains embroiled in a controversy regarding the terms of its current Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with the government, which is set to expire in 2030.
Given the claim’s importance and the potential to mislead, DUBAWA decided to investigate it.
Verification
Following extensive Google searches and shortlisting of iron ore concentrator plants in Africa based on search keywords including “iron ore concentrators in Africa” and “Africa iron ore concentrator plants,” we found different concentrator plants linked to prominent mines such as the Sishen iron ore mine and Kolomela iron ore mine both in South Africa, and the Tonkolili iron ore mine in Sierra Leone.
At the Sishen mine, an iron ore concentrator plant already exists with a capacity of over 30 million tonnes per annum, while the Kolomela iron ore concentration plant has a capacity of about 13 million tonnes per annum according to records. Both mines are operated under the control of Kumba Iron Ore, of which Anglo American plc holds majority shares (69.7%).
On page 27 of the Kumba Iron Ore 2024 annual report, published in February 2025, the disaggregated production capacities of the two plants are noted. The Sishen mine produced 26 million tonnes of iron ore in 2024.
Screenshot of page 27 showing Sishen beneficiation plant capacity/ Source: Kumba 20204 Annual report.
Also, Mining Data Online, an online database platform that provides mining intelligence and opportunities in the mining sector, states that two beneficiation plants exist at the Sishen mine.
The report states that the Sishen Mine has a dense media separation plant where most of the high-grade run-of-mine is treated and a jig plant where most of the medium run-of-mine is treated.
The report notes that as of 2023, the combined run-of-mine capacity of the processing facilities at the Sishen mine is 49.7 million tonnes per annum (28.1 million tonnes per annum for the DMS plant and 21.6 million tonnes per annum for the Jig plant)
Screenshot of Mining Online publication.
With the above, it is clear that at least the Sishen iron ore concentration plant is bigger than the newly inaugurated ArcelorMittal plant in Liberia, which is expected to produce 20 million tonnes annually.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence gathered, we conclude that the claim that the recently inaugurated ArcelorMittal Liberia iron ore concentrator plant, also known as the Tokadeh concentrator plant, is the biggest in Africa is false. The plant is at least second to the Shisen plant in South Africa.
