HARARE
–
Zimbabwe
will
ban
the
export
of
lithium
concentrates
from
2027
as
it
extends
its
push
for
more
local
processing,
mines
minister
Winston
Chitando
said
on
Tuesday.
Africa’s
top
producer
of
lithium,
used
in
batteries
to
power
renewable
energy
technologies,
banned
the
export
of
lithium
ore
in
2022
and
has
been
pushing
miners
to
process
more
domestically.
Lithium
miners
in
Zimbabwe,
who
are
mostly
from
China,
have
been
exporting
concentrates
to
their
home
country.
Chitando
said
lithium
sulphate
plants
were
currently
being
developed
at
two
Zimbabwean
mines,
Bikita
Minerals,
owned
by
Sinomine,
opens
and
Prospect
Lithium
Zimbabwe,
owned
by
Zhejiang
Huayou
Cobalt.
Lithium
sulphate
is
an
intermediate
product
which
can
be
refined
into
a
battery-grade
material
such
as
lithium
hydroxide
or
lithium
carbonate
used
in
battery
manufacturing.
“Because
of
that
capacity
which
is
now
in
the
country,
the
export
of
all
lithium
concentrates
will
be
banned
from
January
2027,”
Chitando
said
during
a
media
briefing
following
a
weekly
cabinet
meeting.
In
2023,
Zimbabwe
gave
lithium
miners
up
to
March
2024
to
submit
plans
for
developing
local
refineries,
but
softened
its
stance
after
prices
of
the
metal
collapsed.
Sinomine
and
Zhejiang
Huayou
Cobalt
are
part
of
a
group
of
Chinese
firms,
including
Chengxin
Lithium
Group,
Yahua
Group
and
Canmax
Technologies,
which
have
spent
more
than
$1
billion
since
2021
to
acquire
and
develop
lithium
projects
in
Zimbabwe.
–
Reuters