Online Reporter
Michael Tome, Zimpapers Business Hub
PROSPECT Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) has started constructing a 70-megawatt power station, in a strategic move aimed at augmenting local power supply.
This initiative aims to enhance the energy supply to PLZ’s, a subsidiary of China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Limited, one of the world’s largest producers of lithium-ion battery materials and a new cobalt materials producer
The investment in the solar power facility will reduce reliance on the national grid, which faces increasing demand from the rapidly expanding economy, domestic users and the mining sector.
PLZ is involved in lithium processing and aims to move from exporting raw concentrates to value addition.
The company is constructing a lithium sulphate plant to process raw lithium concentrates into higher-value salts,
Mining companies are increasingly investing in reliable energy sources to sustain their operations.
PLZ Arcadia Mine near Harare has the capacity to process 50 000 tonnes of lithium sulphate annually.
The company will start producing lithium sulphate during the first quarter of 2026 from its new US$400 million plant in Goromonzi.
In recent times, several leading mining firms have taken steps to invest in energy projects, with a substantial focus on renewable energy solutions.
These initiatives have so far been pivotal in alleviating the pressure on the country’s main power utility, which is struggling to meet the mining sector’s growing energy demands.
Zimplats, which is in the process of establishing a 185MW solar power project, last July launched a 35MW plant.
The investment in solar energy is expected to significantly bolster the company’s energy autonomy while also contributing to the company’s sustainability goals.
Similarly, Caledonia Mining’s Blanket Mine, located in Gwanda, successfully commissioned a solar plant with a capacity of 12,2MW in 2023 at a construction budget of approximately US$14 million.
Turk Mine in the Bubi District launched a 4,4MW solar farm, which is now powering its mining operations.
In another development, Dinson Iron and Steel Company in the Chirumhanzu District has made strides towards energy self-sufficiency by developing an internal generation capacity after investing in a 50MW facility.
Cement producer, PPC Zimbabwe, has also hinted at establishing two solar power plants at a cost of US$40 million.
The plants will have a combined capacity of 30MW, with one facility located in Colleen Bawn, generating 20MW and the other in Bulawayo, with a capacity of 10MW.
These solar plants will significantly enhance the energy supply to PPC’s cement factories, ensuring stable production and reducing reliance on the national grid.
Speaking during a recent tour of PLZ’s Arcadia Mine, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando said the company was doing all it could to curb the downtime at the mine.
“The tour has revealed a massive construction being carried out by Prospect. They are constructing a 70-megawatt power station. This is coming from the investor’s recognition of the need to augment power supply to the mine and undertake the necessary investments to maintain consistency in power supply,” said Minister Chitando.
These developments reflect a broader trend within the mining and industrial sectors in Zimbabwe, where there is a growing recognition of the importance of sustainable and reliable energy sources to support economic growth and environmental stewardship.
Amid these developments, Energy and Power Development Minister, July Moyo, recently outlined a broader renewable energy agenda, including the innovative Kariba Floating Solar Project, the 22MW Pomona waste-to-energy project, and several large-scale solar parks in Matabeleland, Midlands, and Mashonaland West provinces, which are being developed by independent power producers (IPPs).
This comes as PLZ expects to more than double its revenue once its lithium sulphate plant comes into production in the first quarter of 2026.
PLZ announced that construction of the new lithium sulphate processing plant is nearing completion, with progress now at 75 percent.
The facility is designed to produce approximately 60 000 tonnes of lithium sulphate per annum, marking a significant step forward in Zimbabwe’s lithium value-addition drive.
Lithium sulphate commands a higher market price than spodumene and petalite concentrates being produced by Prospect.
This development aligns with the Government’s push for local beneficiation in the lithium mining sector.
In 2022, the Government banned the export of raw lithium to curb smuggling and promote domestic processing.
It is considering extending the ban to include lithium concentrates from January 2027, as part of a broader strategy to industrialise and maximise economic returns from Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth.
