ZIJIN Mining Group’s Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to be commissioned in June, will rank among the world’s largest producers of the battery metal once it reaches full capacity, said Bloomberg News.
The Chinese miner, which has expanded rapidly to become a leading copper and gold producer, secured the Manono deposit in southeastern Congo in 2023. At full capacity, the operation will produce 130,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent a year, placing it behind only a handful of giant Australian hard-rock mines, said Martin Jackson, head of battery materials markets at consultancy CRU Group.
At full tilt in 2028 it would account for roughly 5% of global mined lithium supply, the newswire said.
The $1.4bn project will produce between 850,000 and 875,000 tons of lithium concentrate a year at capacity. A smelter Zijin plans to complete by year-end will process around 500,000 tons of concentrate annually into an intermediate lithium sulphate product. Zijin holds just under 55% of the project, with the Congolese state holding the balance.
Manono carries legal complications, however.
Australian company AVZ Minerals, whose licence over the area was revoked by Congo three years ago before Zijin was awarded the northern portion, has initiated arbitration against the state. The southern section has attracted interest from KoBold Metals, an AI-driven exploration company backed by Bill Gates and Marc Andreessen, said Bloomberg News.
Manono’s entry into production comes at a delicate moment, with Zimbabwe’s recent ban on lithium concentrate exports tightening near-term market conditions, Jackson said.
