Source: PLZ completes constructing sulphate plant, begins exports – herald
Victor Maphosa-Mashonaland East Bureau
THE construction of the US$400 million sulphate processing plant by Huayou Cobalt in the Goromonzi district of Mashonaland East province has been completed and will be commissioned soon.
Already, production has commenced, with Arcadia Technology Zimbabwe (ATZ), now exporting value-added lithium concentrate.
ATZ is a subsidiary company of Huayou Cobalt and a sister company to Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe.
Recently, Special Advisor to the President responsible for Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes, Dr Jorum Gumbo, visited Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ), where the sulphate processing plant was installed.
Dr Gumbo was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Mr Tavabarira Kutamahufa as well as officials from PLZ.
Dr Gumbo said he was impressed by the production at PLZ and commended the organisation for heeding the Government’s calls on adding value to minerals extracted in Zimbabwe.
“When Huayou Cobalt acquired the Arcadia asset, their investment represented far more than a commercial transaction; it was a profound vote of confidence in the economic stability, governance and future of Zimbabwe.
“In record time, we have witnessed a visionary blueprint transform into one of the most advanced and sophisticated lithium processing plants on the African continent.
“This rapid execution is a testament to what can be achieved when international investors and the Government of Zimbabwe work in perfect alignment.
“For too long, the narrative of African mining was one of simple extraction — of digging raw materials out of the earth and exporting them to foreign shores, leaving little value behind.
“Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe represents a decisive break from that outdated paradigm. Through the state-of-the-art facility, we are ensuring that Zimbabwe retains a significant share of the global value chain. By processing raw ore into high-grade spodumene and petalite concentrates right here at home, we are championing the critical cause of local value addition and beneficiation,” Dr Gumbo said.
He said the organisation has created jobs for locals as well as availing a platform for crucial skills transfer.
“The developmental dividends of this project are already being felt deeply. Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe has created more than 2000 direct and indirect jobs, securing the livelihoods of thousands of families across Mashonaland East and beyond.
“More importantly, this facility serves as an academy of high-level industrial skills. By operating such advanced machinery, our local metallurgical and engineering professionals are gaining invaluable expertise, ensuring a sustainable transfer of knowledge that will benefit our nation for generations to come.
“The story of Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe is still in its opening chapters. As the global demand for electric vehicles continues to accelerate, the eyes of the international community will remain fixed on our country.
“This venture has proven beyond doubt that Zimbabwe is indeed open for business, fully capable of hosting mega projects and ready to compete as a dominant player on the global stage.
“It stands as a shining template of public-private partnership and international collaboration,” he said.
He added that as a pioneer in this rapidly evolving sector, and indeed as the first in Zimbabwe to process lithium ore into sulphate, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe occupies a unique position.
“Being first means navigating uncharted territory and we acknowledge that our existing regulatory frameworks must be dynamically updated to accommodate this highly specialised industry.
“I wish to assure you today that Government is fully committed to continuous constructive engagement with regulatory authorities to resolve these ongoing administrative challenges, thereby establishing an increasingly supportive and seamless operational environment for such critical investments.”
Mr Kutamahufa, in his remarks, said such investment has a positive impact on the gross domestic product of the province and the nation at large.
“Our GDP as a province will rise because of investments of this magnitude. We also want to applaud this company for such a massive investment, which, among others, has created a lot of jobs for our people, especially those from Goromonzi.
“There is also the issue of skills transfer, which is to be taken into consideration.
“The organisation is also playing a major role in uplifting people’s livelihoods through its corporate social responsibility. As a province, we commend such investments,” he said.
PLZ public relations manager Mrs Patience Chizodza said they are heeding the Government’s call that minerals should be added value before export.
“We are responding to the Government’s call on mineral beneficiation. This plant here was established to process lithium concentrate into lithium sulphate. We are proud of this because we are the first company to heed the Government’s call to process lithium into processed products.
“We are the largest company in Africa and the third largest in the world and we are proud of the milestones that we have taken. PLZ and ATZ are employing 2000 workers directly and another 2000 indirectly.”
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