Zimbabwe leads Southern Africa with lithium mining
Lithium mining has grown over the years with Zimbabwe leading the race in Southern Africa.
The hard-rock pegmatite lithium mineral is an igneous rock similar to granite and commonly holds quarts, feldspar, mica, and some emeralds and gemstones.
Amaranthcx reports that projects including the Arcadia lithium project, initially developed by Australian firm Prospect Resources, have emerged as some of the biggest in Zimbabwe.
Acquired by Chinese company Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt for $378 million in 2022, the project has since attracted an additional $300 million investment for mine and processing plant development, targeting an annual output of 450,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate.
The Bikita Minerals, which is said to be the world’s largest producer of petalite concentrate for the glass and glass ceramic industry has been producing tantalum since 2018. Owned by Hong Kong-based Sinomine Rare Metals Resources, the company is undergoing transformation with a reported $300 million investment, including the construction of a new spodumene concentrate plant.
As part of efforts to boost Zimbabwe’s Lithium industry, Premier African Minerals Ltd is investing in the Zulu lithium and tantalum pegmatite deposit with the backing of Suzhou TA&A Ultra Clean Technology towards the production of about 50,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate annually.
Other mines including Sabi Star Lithium Mine, Kamativi Mine, and the Sandawana Mines are contributing massively to the growth of lithium mining in the country.
Meanwhile, other countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia, and South Africa are also witnessing significant development in lithium mining.
