Online Reporter
Lincoln Towindo in HANGZHOU, China
VICE President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has challenged Chinese battery manufacturers to set up production in Zimbabwe, saying the raw materials they depend on are already being mined there and should no longer leave unprocessed.
Dr Chiwenga made the call after touring the headquarters of Huayou Cobalt and Chilwee Group on Wednesday, as part of an investment promotion mission seeking deeper beneficiation and industrialisation cooperation with Chinese investors, particularly in mining.
Huayou Cobalt is one of the world’s largest battery materials producers and runs the Arcadia lithium mine in Goromonzi through its wholly-owned Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe unit.
It has since invested heavily in local processing including a US$300 million concentrator and a further US$400 million lithium sulphate plant.
Chilwee Group is China’s biggest lead-acid battery maker, a Hong Kong-listed firm producing batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage.
“They are mainly concentrating on the lithium-ion battery, which they are making and which they have shown us. And they are also into recycling — they recover 90 percent of whatever we think is now going to waste,” said Dr Chiwenga.
“We have understood each other on the way forward on beneficiation, value addition, manufacturing and industrialisation of our country. That’s what we are looking at.”
After touring Chilwee, Dr Chiwenga said most of the components the company uses in battery manufacturing are raw materials found in Zimbabwe, making the case for production to relocate to source.
“Most of the components they use are from the raw materials that we have in Zimbabwe. We see scope for great cooperation if they come to Zimbabwe, so that they can have the materials right at their doorstep,” he said.
Dr Chiwenga said the courting of battery manufacturers was central to Zimbabwe’s ambition to leapfrog its industrialisation agenda through mining, positioning the country to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution rather than merely supply it.
The visits formed part of the Vice President’s investment promotion mission to China, where he is leading a high-powered Government delegation seeking to deepen economic and industrial cooperation with the Chinese Government and private sector.
A major focus of the mission is attracting investment that can help Zimbabwe accelerate beneficiation and value addition, particularly in mining, as the country seeks to use its mineral resource base to leapfrog stages of industrial development.
