Zimbabwe says there is no going back on the impending ban on lithium concentrate exports.
According to new regulations mining companies won’t be allowed to export lithium in concentrate form from January 2027 onwards.
“This is not negotiable. No exports and we have given sufficient notice for all producers to act,” Mines minister Winston Chitando told the media during a tour of Prospect Lithium Mine and its sister company Arcadia Technology Zimbabwe (ATZ), both subsidiaries of China’s Huayou Cobalt.
Arcadia is investing in a US$400 million lithium sulphate plant which is now 75 percent complete in Goromonzi, a district neighbouring Harare to the north east, and this is expected to make the company the leader in the country’s quest for lithium value addition.
“Currently the spodumene is being exported in concentrate form and the petalite is being stockpiled because the prices are quite low. The lithium sulphate plant will take the concentrate to sulphate and sulphate is a direct input into the battery making process.
“Zimbabwe will be producing its first lithium sulphate at the beginning of 2026 (at Arcadia)…and by the beginning of the second quarter Arcadia will be a fully value adding operation and Zimbabwe as a country will be a significant lithium sulphate producer,” Chitando said.
The company is also constructing a 70MW power station while exploration is underway to expand mine lifespan.
“We are very confident that the mine’s lifespan will be extended,” Chitando said.
