# Trace Conflict-Free Tantalum Supply Chains

> Circulor deployed a blockchain-based traceability system in fall 2018 across three mines and an ore-sorting facility in Rwanda to track tantalum. The platform records the movement of the mineral from the mine all the way to the manufacturer in a tamper-proof manner. This enables industrial buyers to verify compliance with conflict-free mineral sourcing requirements transparently and verifiably.

**Sector:** Primary sector · **Industry:** Mining and raw materials · **Organisation:** Circulor · **Maturity level:** Production

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/circulor-konfliktfreie-tantal-lieferketten-lueckenlos-nachverfolgen

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Production
- **Evidence:** Evidence medium
- **Editorial review:** pending

## Description

Circulor implemented a blockchain platform for tracing tantalum to make the raw material journey from mining sites in Rwanda to processors transparent. In many industrial supply chains, the exact origin of raw materials is difficult to determine due to complex intermediaries. By recording every handover point in the distributed ledger, industrial companies can ensure that sourced ores come from legal and conflict-free sources.

The British technology company Circulor launched the project in autumn 2018 as the first documented 'Mine-to-Manufacturer' tracking approach for tantalum. The system was deployed directly on site at three Rwandan mines and an associated ore sorting facility to digitally record extraction batches at the point of origin. The platform, based on a closed blockchain architecture, stores data immutably and links it with subsequent transport and refining steps. The aim of the implementation was to meet the strict international requirements for due diligence on conflict minerals with digital evidential power. The project demonstrated the practical viability of distributed ledger systems under demanding conditions in the primary sector and created an auditable data basis for downstream customers.

## Benefits

- Efficient fulfilment of legal requirements on conflict minerals
- Reduced manual effort in supply chain audits
- Strengthening reputation as a responsible purchaser
- Seamless and tamper-proof proof of raw material origin
- Reduction of fraud and mixing of uncertified ores
- Increased transparency for all actors involved along the supply chain
- Standardised digital handover processes instead of confusing paper records
- Faster processing of inspection and sorting operations on site

## Challenges

- Need to involve all intermediaries and refiners in the same platform
- Protection of confidential price and quantity data against competitors in the ledger
- Ensuring physical correspondence between digital data record and real raw material package
- Limited connectivity and infrastructure at remote mining sites
- Training effort for operating personnel at sorting and weighing stations

## Technology foundation

A closed, permissioned distributed ledger technology is used, which immutably secures transaction data along the supply chain. This architecture protects sensitive trade data between mines, processors and end manufacturers while simultaneously ensuring shared auditability.

## Sources

- [Circulor Achieves First Ever Mine to Manufacturer Tantalum Trace](https://www.lfdecentralizedtrust.org/case-studies/tantalum-case-study)