https://sputnikglobe.com/20230209/african-countries-aim-to-develop-own-lithium-processing--refining-industries-1107238366.html
African Countries Aim to Develop Own Lithium Processing & Refining Industries
African Countries Aim to Develop Own Lithium Processing & Refining Industries
Sputnik International
African countries such have revealed their plans to create their own lithium refining and processing industries. Lithium prices and demand have skyrocketed in recent years against the backdrop of proposed bans on fossil-fuel cars.
2023-02-09T15:11+0000
2023-02-09T15:11+0000
2023-02-09T15:20+0000
africa
industry
lithium
processing
electric cars
green energy
zimbabwe
namibia
mining
democratic republic of the congo
https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/1e/1106816226_0:0:2049:1153_1920x0_80_0_0_76bd065e87c3dec51d64a5f38fb66319.jpg
African countries have revealed plans to create their own lithium refining and processing industries. Lithium prices and demand have skyrocketed in recent years against the backdrop of proposed bans on fossil-fuel cars and the popularization of electric ones.According to commodities trader Trafigura, cited by the media, Africa's lithium production could grow from 40,000 tonnes this year to 497,000 tonnes in 2030, with most coming from Zimbabwe.Establishing processing industries would enable African countries such as Zimbabwe and Namibia to retain more of the value of their natural resources than in the case of mining to export raw materials.Another southern African country, Zimbabwe, imposed a ban on raw lithium exports in December in an effort to combat smuggling and promote domestic lithium processing. The country's government announced that it was losing €1.7 billion by exporting the mineral unprocessed.In other countries that are rich in lithium, new mines are in development. Australian firm Atlantic Lithium is working on opening the first lithium mines in Ghana, while Leo Lithium, also headquartered in Australia, plans to export two 30,000-tonne shipments of raw lithium from its Goulamina mine in Mali by the end of 2023. According to the company's managing director, cited by the media, the earnings would help to develop domestic processing.As western media notes, some Western governments see African lithium reserves as an opportunity to challenge China's status as the world's top lithium refiner and a leading producer.Lithium is merely one of the minerals that are utilized in "green" technologies. At the African Mining Indaba, DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi announced his country's plans to launch new exploration for such metals as nickel and chrome and to become a major supplier of metals necessary for the green energy transition.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230126/zimbabwe-to-start-exporting-wheat-1106728516.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230207/africa-likely-to-become-europes-most-important-renewable-energy-partner-eu-says-1107042522.html
africa
zimbabwe
namibia
democratic republic of the congo
ghana
mali
southern africa
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
2023
News
en_EN
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
africa litium, lithium processing, lithium refining, africa mining, namibia lithium, zimbabwe lithium, namibia mining, namibia mining, mali lithium, ghana lithium, congo mining, mali mining, ghana mining
africa litium, lithium processing, lithium refining, africa mining, namibia lithium, zimbabwe lithium, namibia mining, namibia mining, mali lithium, ghana lithium, congo mining, mali mining, ghana mining
African Countries Aim to Develop Own Lithium Processing & Refining Industries
15:11 GMT 09.02.2023 (Updated: 15:20 GMT 09.02.2023) Over the past two years, lithium has increased in price by around 1,100%. The mineral is a crucial component of batteries used in electric cars and devices such as computers and mobile phones.
African countries have revealed plans to create their own lithium refining and processing industries. Lithium prices and demand have skyrocketed in recent years against the backdrop of proposed bans on fossil-fuel cars and the popularization of electric ones.
According to commodities trader Trafigura, cited by the media, Africa's lithium production could grow from 40,000 tonnes this year to 497,000 tonnes in 2030, with most coming from Zimbabwe.
Establishing processing industries would enable African countries such as Zimbabwe and Namibia to retain more of the value of their natural resources than in the case of mining to export raw materials.
"If you have got the minerals that everybody wants now, you need to make sure that at least you probably mine those minerals differently and not in the usual manner," Tom Alweendo, Namibia's mines minister, told media at the Investing in African Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa. "We are going to insist that all lithium mined within the country has to be processed in the country," the official noted.
Another southern African country,
Zimbabwe, imposed a ban on raw lithium exports in December in an effort to combat smuggling and promote domestic lithium processing. The country's government announced that it was losing €1.7 billion by exporting the mineral unprocessed.
"We made plans to only allow the export of concentrates," Zimbabwe's Mining Minister Winston Chitando told media, noting that "Because of the ban, other investors have come in wanting to mop up lithium ores and develop them to concentrate stage."
26 January 2023, 13:32 GMT
In other countries that are rich in lithium, new mines are in development. Australian firm Atlantic Lithium is working on opening the first lithium mines in Ghana, while Leo Lithium, also headquartered in Australia, plans to export two 30,000-tonne shipments of raw lithium from its Goulamina mine in Mali by the end of 2023. According to the company's managing director, cited by the media, the earnings would help to develop domestic processing.
As western media notes, some Western governments see African lithium reserves as an opportunity to challenge China's status as the world's top lithium refiner and a leading producer.
Lithium is merely one of the minerals that are utilized in "green" technologies. At the African Mining Indaba, DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi
announced his country's plans to launch new exploration for such metals as nickel and chrome and to become a major supplier of metals necessary for the green energy transition.
7 February 2023, 13:04 GMT
