Belgium Guarantees Funding for Congo Germanium Plant Backed by Umicore

Belgium’s Council of Ministers approved a state guarantee that will back advance payments for germanium purchases from the Société pour le Traitement du Terril de Lubumbashi (STL), a subsidiary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s state miner Gécamines. The guarantee, to be administered by export‑credit agency Credendo, reduces the financial risk for Umicore, the Brussels‑based refiner that has an exclusive long‑term agreement to buy STL’s germanium concentrate.

STL’s hydrometallurgical plant processes mining waste from the Big Hill dump in Lubumbashi, producing a concentrate that could supply up to 15% of global germanium demand. The plant, capable of around 30 tonnes of concentrate per year, began commercial shipments in late 2024 and produced four to five tonnes of contained germanium last year. While initial processing occurs in the DRC, higher‑value refining and production of high‑purity material remain in Belgium, supporting Europe’s effort to diversify critical mineral supplies away from China.