eBusiness Weekly
70 million EV batteries needed in 2032
Zimbabwe first in Africa on EV battery lithium
$250m needed for lithium plant upgrade
Golden Sibanda
Zimbabwe, the first and only African country to successfully set up a lithium-ion battery carbonate plant, is poised for a major role in the trillion dollar electric vehicles (EV) industry as it emerged its pilot plant is meeting or exceeding grade specifications.
The plant was built by Zimbabwe focused Australia Stock Exchange (ASX) listed electric vehicle batteries company Prospect Resources, for its Arcadia project near Harare. Prospect recently completed building the lithium carbonate plant, which awaits commissioning by President Mnangagwa soon.
However, Prospect Resources needs to first establish a 240 000 tonnes a year concentrate plant and later mobilise funding it requires to upgrade the pilot plant to a large-scale lithium carbonate plant.
Lithium carbonate piles to 100kg
What is most exciting about the facility is the fact that since its completion recently, the plant has consistently churned out battery grade lithium carbonate, at a small – scale, which has seen an inventory of 100 kilogrammes produced at the plant stockpiled while this production rate will be maintain monthly.
The stockpile awaits further purification to battery grade, but the same plant has already successfully processed to EV batter grade lithium carbonate, for instance managing lithium carbonate production amounting to 13kg within only a week of production up to the 11th of this month.
The plant has managed to produce at an average purity of over 99,6 percent and the company said the plant “is meeting or exceeding battery grade specifications”. This product is expected to be made available for sale and due diligence purposes by prospective customers.
Over 70 million light – duty Battery – Electric Vehicles will be sold in 2032, generating close to three trillion US dollars in revenue. The sales of these vehicles will be highest in developed countries, which are in the process of being blanketed by networks of charging stations.
The auto market is witnessing a seismic shift that parallels the mobile phone revolution. Besides transition to clean energy, this shift encompasses intelligent, autonomous and connected vehicles that will improve transport efficiency while meeting energy-saving and emission-reduction targets.
Plant puts Zim on global map
Chief executive Harry Greaves, said the completion of the pilot carbonate plant was a major achievement by the ASX listed Zimbabwean lithium miner and demonstrated to global investors that Zimbabwe had the skills, capacity and understanding to build lithium carbonate plants.
“This is very good for Zimbabwe (export of value added product). For my company this increases profits and we can produce more jobs,” Greaves said.
“The pilot plant is producing. We are producing concentrate at a small scale. When we produce the lithium rock, it is 1,4 percent lithium and under phase 1 we will build a plant to produce two products; one which is 4 percent (petalite) lithium and the other 6 percent (spodumene) lithium,” he added.
This phase will cost the lithium producer about $55 million. Additional investment will then be required in the sum of $250 million to develop further than the concentrate plant to establish a lithium carbonate (beneficiation) plant.
Zim trained engineers shine
“In phase 2 we will build the carbonate plant to further beneficiate the lithium concentrate. This is why we have built a lithium carbonate plant. Nobody has ever done it in Africa; only a few have done it in China (and elsewhere). The plant was designed and built completely by engineers trained at Zimbabwean universities.
“That plant has demonstrated to investors that we have the skills, capability and understanding to take the concentrate through to (lithium) carbonate level and we will continue chasing new frontiers.
“What we need to do is complete phase 1 and then we start looking for investment for the carbonate plant; this can be up to $250 million,” Greaves said.
About lithium
The lightest and least alkali metal, lithium enjoys widespread commercial use in grease, dryers, air conditioners, medicines and a fast-rising call from the battery and renewable energy sectors.
Deposits in Zimbabwe include deposits at Kamativi Mine, Bikita Mine, Zulu Project, Arcadia Lithium Project. The country also has some lithium deposits in Mberengwa, Mutoko and some areas around Harare. Zimbabwe is the richest country in Africa in terms of Lithium deposits.
Where will lithium carbonate come from?
North America has only one lithium mine, the Albermarle Silver Peak Mine, and only one U.S. company is currently producing lithium from brine. Most of the world’s lithium comes from brine operations in Chile and a spodumene operation in Australia. China and Argentina are also major lithium producers.
Establishing a reliable, diversified supply of lithium is a top priority for technology companies in the United States and Asia, particularly battery suppliers and vehicle manufacturers, and numerous lithium claims have been leased or staked worldwide.
Brine operations are under development in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and the United States; spodumene mining operations are under development in Australia, Canada, China, and Finland; a jadarite mining operation is under development in Serbia; and a lithium clay – mining operation is under development in Mexico.
Zimbabwe is the fifth largest producer of Lithium on the planet (right after Australia, Chile, Argentina and China).
Latest data available (2016) estimates production at the level of 900 metric tonnes (4,791 MT lithium carbonate equivalent).
The Bikita Mine is one of the largest lithium mines in Zimbabwe. The mine is located in southern part of the country in Masvingo Province, known for its natural beauty.
The Bikita Mine has reserves amounting to 10,8-11 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 1,4 percent lithium and thus resulting in around 0,15 million tonnes of lithium.
