Trymore Tagwirei

Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co. has commenced construction of a lithium sulphate processing plant in Zimbabwe, marking another significant milestone in the country’s drive to expand local value addition within its rapidly growing battery minerals sector.

The facility will be built near the Kamativi Mine, where Yahua operates through a joint venture with the Zimbabwean government. The plant is expected to produce lithium sulphate; an intermediate material used in the manufacture of battery-grade chemicals for electric vehicles.

In a statement to investors via the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the company said the project aligns with Zimbabwe’s mineral beneficiation agenda.

“The construction of the lithium sulphate plant forms part of our strategy to strengthen local processing capacity and align with Zimbabwe’s mineral value-addition policies,” the company said.

The development follows Zimbabwe’s recent decision to suspend exports of lithium concentrates; a policy shift aimed at compelling miners to process minerals domestically before export.

Mines and Minerals Development Minister Polite Kambamura said the move is intended to curb illegal shipments while accelerating investment in refining infrastructure.

“Export approvals will only be granted to companies with valid mining licenses and approved processing facilities,” Kambamura said.

Yahua indicated that it expects to resume exports once regulatory approvals are finalized, noting that the new measures primarily target unregulated exports rather than compliant operators.

The company already operates lithium refining facilities in China, positioning it as an important player in the global battery supply chain.

The new project will become the third lithium sulphate plant under development by Chinese investors in Zimbabwe.

Other similar projects are being undertaken by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. at the Arcadia Mine and Sinomine Resource Group at the Bikita Mine—both of which are larger operations than Kamativi.

Resource-rich African nations are increasingly pushing for local processing of minerals critical to clean-energy technologies.

Zimbabwe, now among the world’s fastest-growing lithium producers, accounted for nearly 10 percent of global lithium supply last year, according to the United States Geological Survey.