China’s Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe opened a $400 million lithium sulfate processing plant, part of efforts by African governments to capture more of the added value in mining industries. The plant, just outside Harare, is now fully operational, months after the government froze the export of raw minerals ahead of a complete ban next year. “The era of ‘horse and rider’ investment relationships is over,” President Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
Zimbabwe is Africa’s leading producer of lithium, a key ingredient used to make rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles. PLZ is also planning to open a local lithium carbonate plant, the next point along the processing sequence. Harare has said its ultimate ambition is to make batteries and solar panels domestically; most are currently manufactured in China.