The heavy sands processing facility in the northern Mozambican district of Chibuto will begin this week exporting titanium, Rádio Moçambique reports, citing Secretary of State in the province of Gaza, Amosse Macamo.

The state-owned radio station quotes Mr Macamo as saying he expects the facility to export about 2 tonnes of titanium to Asia this month.

Mr Macamo said the Covid-19 pandemic had disrupted the work of the facility last year, delaying the first export shipment.

Construction of a railway and port for shipping heavy sands abroad depends on the facility increasing its output, Rádio Moçambique quotes Mr Macamo as saying.

In 2018 a Mozambican newspaper, Notícias, said Dingsheng Minerals of China was investing about US$400 million in the facility.