Farirai Machivenyika — THE first phase of construction of the US$400 million lithium sulphate plant at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe in Goromonzi is expected to be completed early next year.
This was said by Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando yesterday after touring the company.
"This project for the lithium sulphate plant commenced at the beginning of this year and it's in three phases," Minister Chitando said.
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"What we see behind us here is a sulphate plant which will now take the process further from concentrate to sulphate and sulphate is a direct input into the battery making process.
"When His Excellency, President Mnangagwa came for the groundbreaking ceremony, he challenged the investor to say well we would want you go all the way and I must say that the investor has done us proud.
"This project for the lithium sulphate plant commenced at the beginning of this year and it's in three phases," Minister Chitando said.
He added that the plant will have three lines with the first line being completed in January.
"What we have here is the first line which will be up and running by early next year. So what it means is Zimbabwe will be producing its first lithium sulphate at the beginning of 2026 and then the other two phases will be complete by the beginning of the second quarter which is by around April next year.
Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando (second from left) chats with Zimbabwe Zone Administration Centre General Manager Henry Zhu (right), while Mines and Mining Development Chief Director Leon Godza (left) looks on during the tour yesterday.
"So, by that time Zimbabwe will be a fully value-adding operation and Zimbabwe as a country will be a significant lithium sulphate producer thanks to the policies of His Excellency and his vision for Zimbabwe is open for business to attract capital and also to have all the players undertake value addition.
"So, what we now see here are the fruits of that policy where we start from extraction to processing all the way to the material going straight into the battery making phase," he said.
Apart from the sulphate plant, the company is also constructing a 70MW power station to augment electricity supply.
Government came up with a policy framework that from January 2027, no export of lithium concentrates will be permissible so various players in the lithium mining value chain are at various stages of complying with that directive.
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"Those who won't be complying come January 2027 no exports will be allowed and we'll see what then happens but no exports will be allowed," Minister Chitando said.
