The largest African lithium producer, Zimbabwe will ban the export of lithium concentrates as of January 2027, announced this Tuesday, June 10, the Minister of Mines, Winston Chitando. This measure aims to accelerate the local processing of this strategic mineral, which is essential in the manufacture of batteries for renewable energy technologies.

Derived from concentrate processing, lithium sulfate is a value-added product whose refinement makes it possible to obtain battery quality derivatives such as lithium carbonate and hydroxide. The largest African producer of lithium, Zimbabwe seeks to better exploit this resource, which it continues to export mainly in the form of concentrate.

While the Chinese companies Sinomine and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt are currently building two sulphate factories for their respective mines in Bikita and Arcadia, the minister indicates that the country will in this context no longer allow any exports of concentrate by 2027. “Because of this capacity, which now exists in the country, the export of all lithium concentrates will be prohibited from January 2027,” he said, according to remarks relayed by several media.

Initially, Harare invited companies active in the country to submit plans to develop sulphate factories. While this possibility remains current, Winston Chitando also called on actors who are not yet investing in such projects to at least conclude agreements with companies that will have factories, in order to be able to transform their production.

By valuing its lithium, Zimbabwe could in fact maximize its mining revenues, given the price gap between concentrate and value-added products in the metal value chain. For example, battery-grade lithium carbonate currently has an average price of $7,000 per ton on the Shanghai Metals Market, compared to only $570 for the ton of lithium spodumene concentrate produced in Zimbabwe.