Zimbabwe’s largest lithium project at Bikita Mine, led by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) and financed by China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, has entered the equipment commissioning phase, signalling that the $500 million plant is nearing completion.
Huayou said in October 2025 that production of lithium sulphate would begin in the first quarter of 2026.
The plant is designed to produce more than 60,000 metric tonnes of lithium sulphate annually, though output will depend on final plant configuration.
Beyond industrial output, the project is expected to deliver socio-economic benefits through job creation and investments in local infrastructure, healthcare, education, and environmental management.
Lithium, a key input for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage, is central to Zimbabwe’s push to move up the value chain by processing minerals locally rather than exporting raw ore.
The lithium sulphate plant marks a shift toward higher-value production, strengthening the country’s role in global clean energy supply chains.
Zimbabwe remains Africa’s leading lithium producer, having topped continental output in 2024.
Production is forecast to reach 160,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent by 2030, well ahead of regional peers.
Despite a sharp global price drop from over $80,000 per tonne in 2022 to about $8,450 by June 2025, Zimbabwe increased sales volumes.
Lithium spodumene concentrate exports rose 30% year-on-year to 586,197 tonnes in the first half of 2025, with shipments reaching about 1 million tonnes in the first nine months of the year.
Chinese firms have been the dominant investors in the sector, contributing about $1.4 billion since 2021.
