Page 14 - AsiaElec Week 03 2023

AsiaElec BATTERIES AsiaElec

Suzhou to develop

lithium in Zimbabwe

CHINA CHINESE lithium processor Suzhou TA & A saying. “They have a strong demand for lithium
Ultra Clean Technology (Suzhou) has agreed because of a strong increase in [electric] vehicles
to jointly build a processing plant in Zimbabwe and the whole drive for clean technology. We
with a South African company, according to state signed a contract to form a joint venture.”
media. Zimbabwe in late December 2022, banned
Suzhou chairman Pei Zhenhua, an investor all raw lithium exports in an effort to localise
in the separate Zulu lithium project, west of the greater value of the mineral. However, concen-
southern African country, partnered Sybrand trates, which most investors in the country will
Van Der Spuy of Mutoko Mineral Resources to produce, are exempt from the export ban.
build the 2mtpa facility to produce lithium con- “This joint venture,” said van Der Spuy, “is a
centrate at Mutoko to the northeast. The new welcome development taking from the recent
plant is set to be running in the next 12 months, government intervention on exporting raw
state broadcaster ZBC reported on January 16. lithium ore and this will catapult Zimbabwe’s
Pei, worth $10bn according to Forbes, had socio-economic development agenda through
been in the southern African country to also many ways as the beneficiation of the abundant
tour Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project at Fort resource will come with unlimited economic
Rixon, which Suzhou is developing in partner- spinoffs.”
ship with AIM-listed Premier African Minerals. Zimbabwe has the largest lithium resources
“Our partner has approximately 37% in Africa and is the sixth biggest producer glob-
of the lithium battery world market,” state- ally, reports say. ™
owned daily The Herald cited van Der Spuy as

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 03 17•January•2023