MASVINGO Lithium giant, Bikita Minerals, has completed the construction of their
Petalite and Spodumene plants and have since commenced trial productions on the
two sites expected to generate US$500 million this year alone.
The Chinese Sinomine Group invested over US$300 million towards the expansion
of the plant and exploration. The Petalite plant is expected to produce 480 000
tonnes annually while Spodumene plant is expected to produce 300 000 tonnes.
In a statement earlier last week, the organisation said the new plants will create an
additional 1000 jobs and the company projects to generate US$500 million from
exports in 2023.
“Bikita Minerals is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed and
officially commenced trial productions on the new Gravity Separation Plant (Petalite)
and Flotation plant (Spodumene). The new Gravity Separation Plant (Petalite) with
an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes (petalite concentrate) was initiated by the
company through its own funds and raised capital, with construction work starting
in 2022, based on the existing beneficiation plant at the Bikita Mine.
"The plant has a processing capacity of 220tph, average product grade is 3.9
percent Li,O and is expected to produce 480 000 tonnes of petalite annually. The
newly constructed Flotation plant (Spodumene) also comes with an annual capacity
of 2 million tonnes (spodumene concentrate). Once the Bikita Minerals Lithium Mine
expansion project reaches its production capacity, it is expected to produce 300 000
tonnes of high-quality chemical grade spodumene concentrate annually,” the
statement said.
The commencement of the beneficiation production lines is expected to further
enhance the company’s lithium concentrate supply capability and future business
performance.
The Bikita mine is the largest lithium mine in Zimbabwe.
The privately owned company holds the world’s largest-known deposit of lithium at
approximately 11 million tonnes.
The mine is located in southern Zimbabwe in Masvingo Province, along the road to
Mutare from Masvingo.
A 2016 geological survey showed that Zimbabwe has the largest lithium in Africa
with known deposits in Bikita, Goromonzi, Kamativi and Zulu Mine near Shangani.
Zimbabwe’s revenue from lithium exports is expected to rise as the commodity’s
price continues to surge on the global market, with Arcadia Lithium Mine already
exporting shipments of lithium concentrate.
Lithium prices have been rising given the critical role of the mineral in production of
electric vehicles.
