Zimbabwe’s ambition to become a key player in the global battery minerals value chain is taking shape, with the first phase of construction of the US$400 million lithium sulphate plant at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) in Goromonzi on track for completion early next year.
The milestone marks a major step towards full beneficiation of the country’s vast lithium reserves, a resource central to the world’s clean energy transition.
Speaking during a tour of the facility yesterday, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said the plant represents tangible progress under President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra, which seeks to attract capital investment while promoting local value addition.
“This project for the lithium sulphate plant commenced at the beginning of this year and it’s being implemented in three phases. What we see behind us is a sulphate plant which takes the process further from concentrate to sulphate, a direct input into the battery-making process,” said Minister Chitando.
He highlighted that when President Mnangagwa officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony, he challenged the investor to fully commit to the value-addition vision, and the progress now visible at the site reflects that commitment.
“The investor has done us proud. The first line of the plant will be operational by January next year, meaning Zimbabwe will be producing its first lithium sulphate by early 2026. The remaining two phases are expected to be completed by April next year,” he said.
Once fully operational, the plant will position Zimbabwe as one of the few African countries capable of processing lithium into a battery-grade product a leap that will enhance export earnings and support downstream industries.
Minister Chitando added that this achievement was a direct result of President Mnangagwa’s policies aimed at transforming Zimbabwe from a raw material exporter into a manufacturing and technology-driven economy.
“By next year, Zimbabwe will be a fully value-adding operation and a significant lithium sulphate producer,” he said.
To support the project’s energy needs, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe is also constructing a 70-megawatt power station, ensuring uninterrupted power supply for the facility and surrounding operations.
Meanwhile, the government has reinforced its stance on mineral beneficiation, declaring that from January 2027, no export of unprocessed lithium concentrates will be permitted.
“Those who won’t comply by 2027 will not be allowed to export,” Minister Chitando emphasized.
This policy is already driving investment in local processing infrastructure, with several lithium miners now at various stages of developing their own value-addition facilities.
The completion of the Goromonzi lithium sulphate plant marks a new industrial era for Zimbabwe one that moves the nation closer to its Vision 2030 goal of becoming an upper middle-income economy through sustainable mineral beneficiation, innovation, and global competitiveness.
