KEY POINTS
- Giyani Metals receives a 15-year license to produce battery-grade manganese.
- The K.Hill project will produce 80,000 tons of manganese annually.
- Botswana is diversifying its economy away from diamonds with green energy minerals.
Botswana has granted Giyani Metals Corp. a 15-year mining license, positioning the Canadian company to become the country’s first battery-grade manganese producer.
This license will allow Giyani to develop its Kgwakwe Hill (K.Hill) project, a significant step in Botswana’s effort to diversify its mineral sector.
Giyani’s K.Hill project will focus on processing manganese oxide on-site to produce high-purity manganese sulfate, a key material for batteries.
The project is set to become one of the few outside China, which currently holds a 90 percent share of the global supply of high-purity manganese.
Expanding production capacity
The expected production from the K. Hill mine is 80,000 metric tones per year of high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate and the mine life is estimated to be 57 years. This forecast is based on a preliminary economic assessment for 2023.
Furthermore, the company’s upcoming milestone entails building a demonstration plant in Johannesburg, South Africa, where it will produce manganese suitable for batteries.
As stated by Giyani, the result of the Johannesburg demonstration plant will be required to carry out off-taker qualification processes that precede the signing of offtake agreements.
Botswana’s move towards diversification
According to Reuters, Botswana, known as the world’s largest diamond producer by value, remains highly dependent on its diamond industry. It accounts for 30 percent of national revenues and 70 percent of foreign exchange earnings.
However, the country is actively seeking to diversify its mining sector, with minerals like copper, nickel, coal, and iron ore coming into focus.
Botswana currently operates two coal mines and three copper mines alongside its diamond mines. As global demand for battery metals continues to rise due to the energy transition, Botswana aims to capitalize on this shift.
