KEY POINTS
- Kemcore has won environmental clearance for a roughly $140 million mining chemicals plant in Botswana, targeting financial close by December 2026 and first output in early 2028.
- The phased facility aims to produce 150,000 tonnes a year of battery mineral reagents, which Kemcore calls southern Africa’s first integrated battery minerals chemical complex.
- It will sit in Botala Energy’s Leupane hub near gas, soda ash and salt supplies, with Botala planning 700 MW of hybrid gas and solar power.
Mining chemicals importer Kemcore has won environmental clearance for a manufacturing plant in Botswana, clearing the way to secure financing and build a facility that will supply copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
The approval marks an important milestone, founder and chief commercial officer Calisto Radithipa told Reuters. Specifically, the company aims for financial close by December 2026, construction in 2027 and first production in the first half of 2028. Moreover, it will make reagents including sodium metabisulphite, sodium hydrosulphide and sodium isobutyl xanthate.
Funding talks advance
Investor interest looks strong. According to Radithipa, talks with funders are advanced, with good interest from regional and local institutions. Furthermore, he framed the plant as a rare way to gain exposure to critical minerals without investing directly in a mine.
The build is sizeable. Specifically, the facility will rise in phases at a total cost of about 140 million dollars, with projected annual output of all battery mineral reagents reaching 150,000 metric tons. Consequently, Kemcore says it would be the first integrated battery minerals chemical complex in southern Africa.
Built near key raw materials
Location is central to the plan. Specifically, the plant sits close to sources of gas, soda ash and salt, cutting input costs and logistics. Additionally, Radithipa said talks to secure gas from nearby Botala Energy’s coal bed methane project are advanced, while soda ash and salt will come from the Botash mine 300 km to the northeast.
The site anchors a wider industrial push. According to the company, the facility will sit within Botala Energy’s Leupane Energy Hub and Industrial Park in central Botswana. Ultimately, Botala plans to develop 700 megawatts of hybrid gas and solar power there, giving Kemcore both feedstock and energy as it positions Botswana as a processing base for the region’s battery-metals supply chain.
