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FIRST it was water propelling engines. In the late 1780s water was replaced by fossil fuels — diesel, natural gas and their undisputed king — coal. By providing continuous and more power to machines, they ignited rapid development worldwide. As a result, the three industrial revolutions that followed were anchored by the fuels. As the globe moved on, oil producing nations ruled the world. The Middle East, North Africa, Russia and the US sneeze, the world economy catches a cold.
However, fossil fuels are dirty by nature and are among the biggest causes of global warming and the resulting climate change. In view of that the world has set itself on a path to decarbonise, gradually phasing out fossil fuels to adopt cleaner yet equally dependable alternative energy sources.
Experts found lithium to be critical in that quest, which makes the metal the next oil. It is important in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries that are able to store huge amounts of energy over long periods and can be used in electric vehicles, solar farms, mobile phones and the like.
Growing demand saw lithium prices rising by as high as 180 percent last year. Lithium carbonate spot prices in China, its biggest consumer, ended the year at around US$84 000 per tonne.
Just as fossil fuels have driven the world, lithium is seen doing the same in the near to distant future. Just as oil producing nations have ruled the world over the past 200 years or so, those that are blessed with the emerging alternative will potentially do likewise over the next century or so.
Based on available data, Zimbabwe ranks high on lithium availability. It has Africa’s largest deposits and number five globally.
The Government recognises that immense potential and has a clear idea what strategies must be put in place for that potential to be realised to ensure greater national socio-economic prosperity, the kind of prosperity that oil producing nations in the Middle East and elsewhere have attained.
In that connection, the Government last year announced that some investors will build an industrial energy hub at Mapinga, Mashonaland West Province. The US$13 billion complex will process lithium ore to make batteries. So, instead of the country mining and exporting raw lithium, the factory at Mapinga will beneficiate the mineral into batteries, in the same manner the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others aren’t exporting crude oil, but have local capacity to process that resource into finished products — petrol, diesel, grease and so on.
That will move us from the ignoble position of an exporter of raw commodities up the value chain. That is the position that produces real national wealth and prosperity.
For that reason, we cannot wait for work to begin at Mapinga.
The Government has not ended there. On December 20 it announced a ban on exportation of raw lithium.
“Government plans to beneficiate lithium and we are advancing the idea, which will be implemented soon,” we cited Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, Cde Edmond Mkaratigwa as saying yesterday.
“Government wants to find out if it is getting real value from the mining of lithium and the long term strategy is to value-add and beneficiate the mineral as opposed to exporting ore.”
The December 20 decision is impressive and futuristic. Steps like that one as well as the Mapinga one are what we need to propel the country far beyond Vision 2030 in a short period.
However, strong political leadership, such as we already have, will make that possible. It will negotiate deals that secure the national interest, it will effectively enforce the law, promote peace as well as unity and equitably distribute wealth.
We have no doubt that the plenty that oil has brought to the Middle East is what lithium will bring to our country if we continue on the path we are on.
Online Reporter