Fire at Eramet Grande Côte’s mineral sands extraction unit: production suspended and force majeure declared

08:30 Uhr  |  GlobeNewswire

Paris, February 26^th, 2026, at 08h30 a.m

PRESS RELEASE

Fire at Eramet Grande Côte's mineral sands extraction unit: production suspended and force majeure declared

• A localised fire broke out on 22 February in the afternoon at the WCP (Wet Concentration Plant) of the Eramet Grande Côte (EGC) site in Senegal. The incident was brought under control and fully extinguished at around 8:00 p.m. the same day. No casualties or injuries were reported.
  
• The fire resulted in the shutdown of the WCP. Its unavailability interrupts the production process and will lead to the suspension of operations across the entire site at the end of March 2026 for an extended period, the duration of which remains undetermined at this stage. Technical investigations are currently underway to determine the circumstances of the fire and assess the condition of the affected facilities.

• As a consequence, EGC has notified the relevant customers and suppliers of the activation of the force majeure provisions under its contracts.
  
  
• The Group has also decided to suspend its 2026 production guidance relating to HMC (Heavy Mineral Concentrate), pending a more precise assessment of the impact of the incident.
  
  

Initial inspections confirm that the fire remained confined to the facilities of the first stage of the WCP (Wet Concentration Plant) screening process, the wet concentration unit where heavy minerals are separated from the extracted sand.

The facilities of the second stage of the process, including the mineral sands separation spirals, were not affected.

The MSP (Mineral Separation Plant), the downstream unit located approximately ten kilometres from the WCP, was not impacted by the incident.

The fire affecting the WCP resulted in its shutdown. This situation interrupts production and will lead to the suspension of operations across the entire site for a prolonged period as from March 2026, with no restart date determined at this stage. Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the fire and assess the condition of the affected facilities.

As a consequence, EGC has formally notified its affected customers and suppliers of the activation of the force majeure provisions under the relevant contracts.

For reference, the Group had previously communicated production guidance of more than 900 kt of HMC (Heavy Mineral Concentrate) for 2026, broadly stable compared to 2025. In light of the current circumstances, the Group has decided to suspend this guidance. An updated outlook will be communicated once the investigations provide greater visibility and allow for a precise assessment of the impact on EGC's production and at Group level.

The teams in charge of the technical investigation at Eramet Grande Côte have secured the facilities and remain fully mobilised to manage the situation under the best possible conditions. The Eramet Group expresses its full support to them and wishes to commend the commitment of all employees and public emergency services involved in the management of this event.

The initial measures to adapt operations following the site shutdown have been presented to employee representatives as part of a close and transparent social dialogue. An assessment of the organisational implications is ongoing in order to define appropriate support measures.

The safety of employees, contractors and surrounding communities remains the absolute priority of the Eramet Group and Eramet Grande Côte. A specific mechanism has been put in place to ensure ongoing engagement with neighbouring communities, including regular information updates and direct dialogue with local stakeholders.

The Group will provide further updates as soon as additional information becomes available.

ABOUT ERAMET

Eramet transforms the Earth's mineral resources to provide sustainable and responsible solutions to the growth of the industry and to the challenges of the energy transition.

Its employees are committed to this through their civic and contributory approach in all the countries where the mining and metallurgical group is present.

Manganese, nickel, mineral sands and lithium: Eramet recovers and develops metals that are essential to the construction of a more sustainable world.

As a privileged partner of its industrial clients, the Group contributes to making robust and resistant infrastructures and constructions, more efficient means of mobility, safer health tools and more efficient telecommunications devices.

Fully committed to the era of metals, Eramet's ambition is to become a reference for the responsible transformation of the Earth's mineral resources for living well together.

www.eramet.com

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• 2026 02 26 - EGC Fore Majeure - PR EN VF