Blencowe Resources (BRES) has announced that the National Environmental Management Authority of Uganda has approved its revised Environmental, Social, Impact Assessment for the Orom-Cross graphite project.
This comes in the context of the expansion of the project scale that was outlined in 2024. As part of this expansion, a comprehensive review of the previously approved ESIA was undertaken.
The new study reflects updated production scope and sustainability commitments and forms part of the ongoing broader definitive feasibility study.
The updated ESIA was submitted in October 2024, and its fast-tracking approval highlights the Ugandan government's strong support for Orom-Cross as a strategically important mining project.
The study encompasses a tripling of planned production rates, increasing Orom-Cross's commercial potential and returns.
It also allows for the adoption of a dry stack tailings disposal method, reducing environmental impact and enabling material reuse in local construction industries, and the integration of hydropower from the national grid, as a cheap, sustainable energy source. What’s more, hydropower will be complemented by additional solar installations for enhanced energy security and backup.
Blencowe has also expanded the scope of its community initiatives.
The ESIA revision was conducted in collaboration with Tenvicon, a leading Ugandan environmental consultancy and involved extensive community engagement and government consultation to ensure alignment with national sustainability objectives.
"We remain fully committed to developing Orom-Cross as one of the world's leading sustainable graphite projects, with a strong focus on environmental responsibility and community engagement,” said executive chairman Cameron Pearce.
“Achieving near net-zero operations is a priority, and this revised ESIA reflects our proactive approach to integrating renewable energy, innovative waste management solutions, and meaningful social programs into our development plan. This updated ESIA is also highly significant from a financing perspective. Many of our strategic funding and offtake partners prioritise sustainability and ESG excellence, and securing this approval strengthens our position as a preferred supplier of responsibly sourced graphite.”
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This expanded ESIA is a crucial piece of the puzzle for Blencowe. Next stop will be the definitive feasibility study, at which point investors will get a real insight into just how lucrative the opportunity at Orom-Cross really is.