• Eramet halts Senegal mineral sands operations after fire damages extraction unit

• Force majeure declared; 900,000-ton production target put on hold

• Financial impact under review as investigations into the fire continue

French mining group Eramet said on Feb. 26 it was suspending production at its mineral sands mine in Senegal after a fire earlier this week damaged key extraction units. The duration of the shutdown remains unclear as technical investigations continue.

In the statement, the company said the fire led to the shutdown of the wet concentrator plant, a core installation at the site. Its unavailability interrupts the production process and will result in a full site stoppage by the end of March 2026 for an as yet undetermined period.

Technical teams are assessing the cause of the fire and the condition of the affected facilities.

Eramet has declared force majeure on commercial operations related to the mine, a measure already communicated to customers. The company has also suspended its target of producing 900,000 tons of mineral sands concentrates this year. An updated outlook will be provided once the full impact of the incident is known.

The mineral sands produced at the site include ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene and zircon, materials used in construction and related industries.

At this stage, the effect of the suspension on the group’s annual performance remains to be determined. Earlier this year, Eramet announced reforms aimed at improving operational performance after broadly mixed results in 2025. The group is a major player in Senegal’s mining sector, contributing CFA122 billion (about $219 million) to the national economy in 2024.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou