A unit of the China-headquartered mining and resources conglomerate Sinomine Resource Group, with substantial interests in Zimbabwe’s lucrative lithium fields, said this week its planned US$400 million battery chemicals production plant will come on stream within two years, aligning the under-fire giant with Zimbabwe’s push to domesticate refinery.
Sinomine’s Bikita Minerals was among a cluster of lithium firms caught up in a shock government move last month to halt raw mineral exports. Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest lithium producer, is pivoting towards domestic processing to capture more value from its mineral wealth.
The abrupt ban, announced by Mines minister Polite Kambamura last month, sent Chinese lithium prices spiking, highlighting Zimbabwe’s influence on the global market.
Reuters reported at the time that the most traded lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange jumped From Page 1
6,07% to 178 020 yuan (US$26 043 per metric tonne) after Zimbabwe stunned markets with its bold move.
Speaking exclusively to the Zimbabwe Independent, Bikita Minerals public relations officer Tinomuda Chakanyuka said the multi- million dollar investment will transform the firm from a lithium concentrate exporter into a producer of battery-grade chemicals.
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“Bikita Minerals has embarked on an ambitious, multi-phased US$400 million investment programme aimed at transforming the company from a lithium concentrate producer into a manufacturer of battery-precursor chemicals,” Chakanyuka said.
“This strategy aligns with the Government of Zimbabwe’s vision of promoting local beneficiation and value addition within the mining sector.”
Under the plan, Bikita will establish a
60 000-tonne-per-year lithium sulphate plant.
“At the centre of this transformation is the construction of a world-class lithium sulphate plant at our operations in Bikita district,” he said, noting that the project will be rolled out in two phases.
The first phase, scheduled for commissioning in the second quarter of 2027, will deliver annual output of 60 000 tonnes of lithium sulphate. The second phase will expand capacity by a further
20 000 tonnes per year.
Lithium sulphate is a key intermediate used in the production of battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide — essential inputs in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Chakanyuka said the investment would strengthen Zimbabwe’s position in the global lithium value chain.
“By establishing this facility, Bikita Minerals will not only enhance the value derived from the country’s mineral resources but also position Zimbabwe as an increasingly important participant in the global electric vehicle supply chain,” he said.
Beyond lithium, the company is also investing in technologies and processing facilities to extract value from associated critical minerals and historic waste deposits.
Plans show that US$60 million will be directed towards a caesium flotation plant, alongside further investments in a tantalite processing facility.
“The plant will process approximately 400 000 tonnes of material per year, turning previously discarded waste into valuable mineral products,” he said.
A US$3 million tantalite processing plant is being developed to reprocess more than 1,4 million tonnes of historic tailings annually, enabling the production of marketable tantalum concentrates. The plant is expected to be commissioned this year.
Chakanyuka added that a high-tech facility utilising advanced optical sorting systems will also be introduced to upgrade low-grade caesium from waste rock. “This investment improves resource recovery while reducing environmental impact associated with waste dumps. Spodumene and petalite beneficiation has been invested to the tune of US$320 million,” he said.
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Last week, Zimbabwe’s lithium export ban prompted a rare caution from the Chinese Embassy, advising investors to tread carefully in the southern African economy known for frequent policy shifts.
Zimbabwe has set a 2027 target for exporting only processed battery-grade lithium. However, while multinationals such as Bikita have the capital to comply, smaller local miners are struggling.
Hillary Vela, president of the Lithium Association of Zimbabwe, told the Independent last week that several members have begun mothballing operations due to the export ban, citing cashflow challenges and the high cost of establishing processing infrastructure.
The directive caught miners off guard and has jeopardised operations across the board, Vela said. Small-scale miners have shut down, and local cashflows have been severely disrupted.
The Ministry of Mines said the suspension was necessary to plug leakages and combat smuggling, particularly along border posts such as Forbes and Beitbridge. It stressed that the ban would remain in effect until further notice.
While stockpiles have grown, authorities and miners are locked in negotiations to ensure a realistic transition timeline, particularly for smaller operators who may need partnerships with larger firms to survive.
Sinomine Resource Group acquired Bikita Minerals in 2022 for US$180 million, taking over from previous German-linked investors. Since then, the company has invested heavily in processing infrastructure, including spodumene and petalite beneficiation, aligning its operations with Zimbabwe’s beneficiation policies.
Globally, Sinomine is part of China’s broader strategy to secure access to critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies. Zimbabwe’s lithium industry has evolved rapidly over the past decade, from small-scale mining to one of the country’s most strategically important export sectors.
The latest suspension marks the government’s most forceful step towards domestic processing and value-addition, testing the resilience of the sector and relations with foreign investors.