Zimbabwe’s Zulu Lithium Mine, located in Matabeleland South Province, is on track to resume production by the end of February, after upgrading its equipment and system. The mine, which is owned by Premier African Minerals Ltd, is regarded as potentially the largest undeveloped lithium-bearing pegmatite in the country.
Lithium is a key component of batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones and has been in high demand in recent years. According to the US Geological Survey, Zimbabwe was the fifth largest producer of lithium in the world in 2022, with an estimated output of 1,600 metric tons.
The Zulu Lithium Mine has been undergoing a series of improvements since 2018 when it published a maiden mineral resource estimate of 20.1 million tonnes grading 1.06% lithium oxide and 51 parts per million tantalum oxide. The mine has also discovered a new zone of mineralization, which could exceed the projected target in the main zone.
Premier African Minerals Ltd has engaged a technical team from Germany to optimize the sorters at the mine, which will facilitate the removal of waste material that has previously led to contamination of concentrates. The company has also installed a new thickener, which will improve the density and flow of slurry to the flotation plant.
The last major item to be positioned and connected for a restart of production is a new ball mill, which is expected to depart from South Africa in the last week of January. The ball mill will help to reduce the size of the ore and increase the recovery rate.
Premier African Minerals Ltd CEO George Roach said in an update released on Thursday that the company was focused on the Zulu project and was confident of meeting the production target.
“We have set out a summary of the status quo. The entire focus of our company is on our Zulu project and unless there are unforeseen circumstances that I have overlooked and provided our plant suppliers deliver as expected, we remain on target to produce late in February 2024,” he said.
The Zulu Lithium Mine is one of the several projects that Premier African Minerals Ltd is pursuing in Zimbabwe, along with the RHA Tungsten, Katete, and Tinde projects. The company has also secured an exclusive prospecting order over an area of 20,200 hectares that encompasses the Zulu project.
The Zimbabwean government has been supportive of the development of the lithium sector, as part of its efforts to revive the mining industry and attract foreign investment. In 2021, the government announced a lithium development policy, which aimed to create a conducive environment for exploration, production, and value addition of the metal.
The Zulu Lithium Mine is expected to create employment opportunities for the local community, as well as contribute to the national economy. The mine also has the potential to boost Zimbabwe’s exports and foreign currency earnings, as lithium prices are projected to rise in the global market.
Source: Zimbabwe Situation
