New smelting plant for Bikita Minerals
Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
LITHIUM-producing giant, Bikita Minerals is establishing a smelting plant to produce lithium sulphate, in a development worth up to US$500 million.
The government’s directive to focus on value addition has jolted Bikita Minerals into action with the Sinomine Resource Group-owned entity establishing a new smelting plant that will see them accruing more benefits from the booming Lithium battery market.
The company’s Managing Director, Mr Xuedong Gong revealed the plan this Monday before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development.
“As a company, we acquired this mine in 2022 and since then we have invested more than US$200 million in establishing Spodumene and Petalite plants. Again we have invested in other developments that have seen our production increase by five times since 2022.
“In the next three to four years we are bringing a new smelting plant to produce lithium sulphate. It is a huge step towards value adding our mineral resource as we will be able to accrue more benefits from the lithium battery market,” he said.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, which was on a familiarisation visit at the invitation of Bikita Minerals, was impressed by the company’s commitment to value addition and beneficiation.
“We were invited as a committee by Bikita Minerals for a familiarisation tour, hence we are not probing. From what we have seen here their production continues to increase despite some challenges.
“We have been impressed by the fact that they are investing in value-adding the mineral resource such that they do not export the lithium concentrates in their raw form. The development is in line with our President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s industrialisation vision,” the Committee Chairperson, Honorable Remigius Matangira said.
The visit was also an opportunity for Chief Marozva to challenge the committee to expedite the amendment of the Mines and Minerals Bill for communities to benefit from local resources.
“We are happy that as a committee you visited this place. We are hoping that you are also going to push for the amendment of the Mines and Minerals Bill such that as communities we benefit from these natural resources in our areas,” he said.
The Second Republic has positioned industrialisation at the centre of the drive as part of efforts to achieve an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
