A CHINESE lithium producer has begun construction of a lithium processing plant in Zimbabwe as the southern African country tightens controls on raw mineral exports to encourage higher-value refining activity within its borders, said Bloomberg News on Friday.
Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group, which operates the Kamativi lithium mine through a joint venture with the Zimbabwean state, announced on the Shenzhen Exchange that it had started building a lithium sulphate facility, said the newswire.
It is the third such plant being developed by Chinese companies in the country, alongside similar projects by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine Resource Group at their respective Arcadia and Bikita operations, it added.
Zimbabwe this week suspended lithium concentrate exports with immediate effect, bringing forward a full ban that had been flagged for early next year. Mines minister Polite Kambamura said export authorisations would only be issued to companies holding valid mining licences and approved processing capacity.
Yahua said it believes the measures are primarily directed at illegal exports and expects to obtain permission to resume shipments within a fortnight. Zimbabwe’s mines ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The government’s push to phase out raw concentrate exports in favour of lithium sulfate — an intermediate product used in the manufacture of battery-grade chemicals — reflects a broader trend across resource-rich African nations. The Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed similar controls on cobalt exports.
Chinese investment has transformed Zimbabwe into one of the world’s leading lithium producers. The country accounted for nearly 10% of global mined supply last year, according to the US Geological Survey.
