Chinese-owned Zheli Mining is set to establish a lithium sulphate plant in Midlands Province by December 2026 as the company intensifies efforts to advance local lithium beneficiation, with equipment for the facility already in transit.
The planned investment marks the next phase of expansion for the company, which has invested about US$15 million in its Zvishavane processing operations since commencing operations in 2024.
Zheli Mining is currently processing low-grade lithium ore supplied by Sandawana Mine, owned by Mutapa Energy Resources, upgrading it into higher-grade concentrate for export.
Speaking on the sidelines of a media tour organised by the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) in Zvishavane, last week, Zheli Mining operations manager, Ding Xin Jie, said the proposed sulphate plant would deepen local value addition.
“We are planning to set up a lithium sulphate plant somewhere in Midlands Province for further beneficiation,” Ding said.
“We are expecting to establish the sulphate plant anytime in December this year, and the equipment is already in transit.”
Ding said the project would be undertaken in partnership with several Chinese companies.
Zheli Mining was established in 2024 and commenced operations in August 2025. The company currently operates two production lines with a combined feeding capacity of 900 tonnes of ore per day.
Management expects processing capacity to exceed 1,000 tonnes per day once the recently completed second production line reaches full capacity.
General manager Kudakwashe Zimondi said the plant focuses on upgrading low-grade lithium ore to improve its commercial value.
“We only process low-grade lithium ores, and the idea is to magnify the grade into a higher grade,” Zimondi said.
Ding said the company’s current lithium recovery rate stood at 20%, while Government had allocated it a five percent quota for the production and export of lithium concentrate.
The company currently has between 25 and 30 tonnes of lithium ore stockpiled from Sandawana Mine as it builds reserves ahead of the rainy season, when difficult road conditions can disrupt supplies.
Besides lithium concentrate, the plant also recovers small quantities of iron fines from the ore.
However, electricity supply challenges remain a major operational constraint, with the company spending between US$150,000 and US$200,000 monthly on power.
“Electricity affects us a lot,” Ding said, adding that the company was considering establishing a solar power plant to reduce its reliance on the national grid.
The planned lithium sulphate plant will advance Zimbabwe’s value-addition drive under Vision 2030 by deepening local mineral processing and maximising returns from the country’s lithium resources.
