Zimbabwe set to start operations at 'continent's first lithium sulphate plant'

Zimbabwe is set to start operations at what is the continent's first lithium sulphate plant within this year.

The project is managed by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe in partnership with China's Huayou Cobalt Co, located at Huayou’s Bikita Mine.

The plant is expected to produce around 60,000 metric tons of lithium sulphate annually.

A spokesperson for Prospect Lithium described the project as more than just a plant, but "a catalyst for economic transformation" in Zimbabwe.

As Tribe Africa Advisory's Rutendo Hwindingwi points out, Zimbabwe has one of the largest reserves of lithium on the African continent.

As one of the main ingredients in battery storage technology, the metal has become known as the "white gold" of the energy transition.

"Zimbabwe has teamed up with the Chinese entity who have injected $500 million for the manufacturing plant in Bikita, which is in the south of Zimbabwe.  By 2030, they expect to hit a production level of 160,000 tons of lithium. When you look at the future of the electric vehicle (EV) market, for which lithium is a key product, this is a move in the right direction."

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