A Zimbabwean battery-minerals miner is building a US$35 million pilot plant to produce spodumene concentrate for export to China.

The high-capacity plant at Premier African Minerals’ Zulu mine, near Bulawayo, will eventually have an annual output of 48 000 tons, according to Reuters. 

Spodumene is one of the most widely exploited sources of lithium, which is used in electric vehicle batteries.

The mine is expected to start shipping the first batch of spodumene to China in March next year, in an offtake deal with Suzhou TA&A Ultra Clean Technology Co, which is financing the pilot plant. Suzhou became a 14% shareholder in Premier earlier this year to secure a supply of spodumene for subsidiary Yibin Tianyi, a leading lithium chemicals producer in China.

19 July 2022
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