A project is in the offing to set up a lithium acid leaching plant in South Africa.

According to Mining News, the plant at the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine in the Northern Cape will produce an intermediate lithium product for use in the manufacture of lithium batteries for electric vehicles and other high-value lithium products.

The proposed project, in the final negotiation stage, is a joint venture involving Marula Mining, whose subsidiary Southern African Lithium and Tantalum Mining (SALT) has the mining rights to Blesberg, a Chinese battery manufacturer and its current lithium offtake partner.

Marula says the Chinese company has done extensive tests on the lithium produced at Blesberg, while engineering and process design work is completed.

It is hoped the joint venture will be finalised in Q4:2024 and the plant commissioned in the first half of next year.

22 October 2024
Image: Pexels