Lithium producer exports to Australia

Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
AUSTRALIAN-LISTED African lithium developer, Prospect Resources, has started exporting battery grade lithium (lithium carbonate) samples to offtake partners in Australia for evaluation.

In a statement, Prospect Resources announced that 100 kilogrammes of lithium carbonate samples produced at the company’s pilot plant in Kwekwe, have arrived in Australia.

“The company is pleased to advise that 100kg of lithium carbonate (battery grade lithium) samples have arrived in Australia from Zimbabwe, ready for distribution to potential offtake partners for evaluation.

“The samples were produced at Prospect’s pilot plant in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe using petalite ore from Prospect’s Arcadia Lithium Project (Arcadia),” said the company.

It said in the production of lithium carbonate, spodumene and petalite ore is processed into spodumene and petalite concentrate (6 percent Li2O and 4 percent Li2O respectively), which is then converted into lithium carbonate (battery grade lithium >99,5 percent Li2CO3) or lithium hydroxide (LiOH).

“Prospect’s ability to successfully produce lithium carbonate from its petalite ore at Arcadia is a first for Africa and positions the company as one of the only companies to do so globally. Prospect is now able to provide samples to potential offtake partners to demonstrate the quality of the product,” it said.

With the above milestone achievement, Prospect is now re-configuring the pilot plant in Kwekwe to manufacture lithium hydroxide.

Last month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa officiated at Prospect Resources’ Arcadia Lithium Mine in Goromonzi.

Prospect Resources and its Arcadia Lithium Project, which is expected to have an initial investment of $ 165 million, is not a joint venture with the Government as earlier reported and the business has no Government ownership, corporate affairs general manager, Mr Nicholas Rathjen, said.

“Arcadia is 87 percent owned by Prospect Resources with the remaining share owned by local Zimbabwean investors. The Government is supportive of our project as it will stimulate the economy but they do not have a financial position in the company,” he said.

It is hoped that more than 1 000 jobs will be created through the development of the mine, which would also see the construction of other amenities like roads, schools and houses in the mining area.

— @okazunga.