Work has now commenced on the Gakara project in Burundi owned by Rainbow Rare Earths Limited (LON:RBW).
Rainbow listed in London back in January, following a US$8 mln fundraising and immediately set to work.
Already an engineering and procurement contract has been signed for the processing plant, local labour has been recruited, and all debts paid off.
WATCH: Rainbow Rare Earths 'making great progress' ...
Initial extraction of ore is scheduled to being shortly and sales to partner Thyssenkrupp slated to begin by year end as production proper gets underway.
"Rainbow has made great progress in delivering on the strategy we presented to investors, namely bringing our Gakara project to production and sales within nine months,” said chief executive Martin Eales.
“I am delighted that work has already started on our first mining area and we will be working closely with our newly appointed plant contractors to ensure that we are ready to achieve our stated target of first rare earth concentrate sales this year."