Key Minerals of the African Continent: Third Chinese Company Accelerates Construction of Lithium Refinery Under Zimbabwe's Export Ban
¬ Zimbabwe has banned the export of raw ores, including lithium concentrate
¬ Sichuan Yahua Group from China has started the construction of a lithium sulfate plant at its Kamativi mine
¬ The government is vigorously promoting high-value local processing industries, which are expected to reach $571 million in exports by 2025
Efforts to extract more value from Zimbabwe's lithium resources are accelerating following the government's ban on the export of raw materials, including lithium concentrate.
Last week, the Chinese industrial group Sichuan Yahua announced that the construction of its lithium sulfate production plant at the Kamativi mine had begun. Just hours earlier, Harare authorities had just issued a ban on the export of unprocessed mineral resources, which had previously been directly transported overseas from the mines.
The company did not disclose the planned capacity or investment size of the factory. However, the project is similar to previous lithium sulfate projects announced by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine, which operate the Arcadia and Bikita mines, respectively.
Lithium sulfate is a high-value product obtained by refining lithium concentrate, and it is a key intermediate for producing battery-grade materials such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.
Sichuan Yahua's move aligns with Zimbabwe's overall strategy to accelerate the processing of lithium concentrate into lithium sulfate domestically. Minister of Mines Polite Kambamala reiterated this goal in a statement and confirmed that the export ban has come into effect officially.
According to international media reports, the company believes the measure may be temporary, primarily aimed at curbing illegal exports. Shipments are expected to resume within two weeks.
The authorities have not yet specified the exact duration of the suspension. Meetings have been arranged with industry representatives to clarify the new regulatory requirements. It remains unclear how these measures will affect the scheduling of ongoing processing projects.
In 2025, lithium production will reach $571 million, ranking alongside platinum group metals, gold, and diamonds as Zimbabwe's major mining products.
Source: ecofinagency
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858569478051908/
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