Mineral sands miner Sierra Rutile has restarted operations at Area 1 in Sierra Leone, facilitated by a new contract for additional power generation capacity.

The ASX-listed company has entered into an 18-month contract with Himoinsa Southern Africa for the provision of 7 MW of power supply. The contract, valued at about $2.1-million in upfront costs, includes ongoing expenses for equipment and staffing necessary to operate the power generation plant.