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 locally.
Dr Chiwenga made the call after touring the headquarters of Huayou Cobalt and Chilwee Group here yesterday, as part of an investment promotion mission in which the Government is seeking deeper value addition, beneficiation and industrialisation cooperation from the Chinese Government and private sector, particularly in the mining sector.
Huayou Cobalt is one of the world’s largest battery materials producers and a leading cobalt refiner, with operations spanning the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia and Zimbabwe.
Chilwee Group is China’s largest lead-acid battery manufacturer, a Hong Kong-listed company with more than 20 000 employees, producing motive power and energy storage batteries for electric vehicles, e-mobility and solar applications.
Dr Chiwenga said Huayou which runs the Arcadia lithium mine in Goromonzi through its wholly-owned Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe unit —had already taken the first step up the value chain, and discussions had now moved to full manufacturing.
“They are into some projects, but 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,” he said.
“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.”
Huayou acquired Arcadia from Australia-listed Prospect Resources in 2022, and has since invested heavily in local processing including a US$300 million concentrator and a further US$400 million lithium sulphate plant.
The facility has begun production and the first shipment of lithium sulphate from Zimbabwe was made in April this year, marking the country’s entry into the production and export of a higher-value lithium chemical used in the battery industry.
Lithium sulphate is an intermediate product that can be refined into battery-grade lithium hydroxide or carbonate.
Vice President Chiwenga said the engagement will extend beyond the company to Government-to-Government level, with some matters set to be elevated to Heads of State.
After touring Chilwee, Dr Chiwenga said most of the components the company uses in battery manufacturing are raw materials found in Zimbabwe hence the request for them to set up a manufacturing plant in Zimbabwe.
“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.
“They have a huge R&D (Research and Development) team; they are very good at training their personnel. When you look at it, it is all based on STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. These are the people who produce everything around the battery lines. And this is an excellent opportunity for them.”
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.
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.
Later in the evening, Dr Chiwenga met a group of Zimbabwean students who requested Government’s support in facilitating the entry of their innovations and start-ups into the local market.
