Woodcross Resources to track all tin from Ugandan operations with Minespider platform

Woodcross Resources, the first integrated tin production business in the Republic of Uganda, is partnering with Minespider, a technology company offering a blockchain-based traceability solution. Following the strategy developed by Responsible Trade LLC, a consultancy that helps to build responsible minerals supply chains, Woodcross Resources will integrate Minespider’s technology and track all tin shipments, starting with the ore from mine through to the export of refined tin, in order to meet the requirements of mining regulations and guidelines, including OECD, ICGLR and RMI/RMAP and Ugandan law. Woodcross Resources expects to implement traceability for their tin operations in the first quarter of 2024.

Woodcross Resources has fully commissioned the first tin smelter to ever be installed in Uganda and will legally source and process tin concentrate to create LME Grade A refined tin. As required by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and RMI Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), Woodcross Resources will implement its own due diligence system using Minespider’s blockchain-based platform and Digital Product Passports, as well as third-party auditing. Minespider will enable Woodcross Resources to collect and communicate key supply chain data about their tin, such as data for provenance and due diligence risk assessments, while providing flexibility to align with different regulatory requirements in a way that is traceable, secure and immutable. The Minespider platform will be integrated into Woodcross Resources’ internal resource planning system and provide transparency on Woodcross Resources’ mineral sourcing operations to regulators, offtake partners and other relevant stakeholders.

“We are pleased to re-launch the tin industry in Uganda and introduce a new supply center for refined tin to the global metals & mining market. Our facility is able to produce LME-Grade tin ingots, positioning Woodcross Resources as the only company that can legally export tin out of Uganda.   Our collaboration with the team at Minespider empowers us to produce and export tin in a responsible and transparent manner.” - stated Omid Ameri, Managing Director of Woodcross Resources.

“Tin is considered a critical mineral for energy storage technologies, solar cell production, EVs, and other application fields. In order to mine and export tin, companies are required to comply with various regulations and guidelines, create a proper due diligence system and abide by all of them, which can be challenging. Our blockchain technology and Digital Product Passports will help Woodcross Resources create a cost-effective, efficient, scalable, and all-encompassing due diligence system that enables a company to stand out in their responsible sourcing efforts.” -  Nathan Williams, Founder and CEO of Minespider commented.

“There are existing regional Upstream Assurance Mechanisms that have been accused by several organizations of having illicit material entering into the supply chain.This jeopardizes the reputation and business viability of responsible supply chain actors including miners, exporters, and smelters. Blockchain technology creates a secure, timely, and reliable Chain-of-Custody system that ensures auditable and transparent record of  due diligence data that is fully conformant to the OECD, ICGLR, RMI/RMAP, and Ugandan law,” - Mike Loch, CEO of Responsible Trade LLC stated.

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Woodcross Resources is an integrated tin production company. The business is comprised of a mining division that is focused on the exploration, development and operation of mining licenses in The Republic of Uganda, with a current focus on the Ntungamo and Isingiro districts; a commercial-scale tin refinery located in Mbarara, Uganda; and a mineral trading division, purchasing concentrate from audited mining sites across the Great Lakes Region of East Africa.

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Responsible Trade LLC is a boutique consultancy that supports a wide range of organizations from governments, civil society and companies in their efforts to build responsible mineral supply chains. Led by the president, Mike Loch who has over 35 years of experience in the sector in both developing and implementing responsible supply chain systems. The company provides a wide range of services including responsible minerals program creation, supply chain sustainability strategies, standards process development, and due diligence support with the aim to enable companies to source and trade responsibly on the global market.

‍Minespider is a technology company offering a blockchain-based platform for tracking mineral supply chain data and creating more sustainable and transparent mineral supply chains. Minespider developed digital Product Passports, which are digital IDs of material that easily communicate key data across the supply chain. Companies such as Google, Ford Otosan, Minsur, Soft Metais, Fenix DVTM, Renault, and LuNa Smelter use Minespider's technology to drive the shift toward a sustainable future.