Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe’s Arcadia mine in Goromonzi today marked its first anniversary since acquisition by Chinese new energy materials giant, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt.
The day, celebrated by management and staff, also marked the first export shipment of lithium concentrates, namely spodumene and petalite.
Speaking at the occasion, chairman Mr George Fang said:
“We salute the workers and management for the diligent work that has resulted in the wonderful results we see today, and the brave new world that the company is embarking on as a producer of new energy materials for the global market at an opportune time the world is undergoing transformation in the energy sector and related technologies.
“Our investment in Zimbabwe thrusts the country on the global map of renewable energy and technology value chains.”
The company has made an impact in the Goromonzi District of Mashonaland East province and beyond.
Mr Fang said: “Over the past year, we have striven to contribute to the local economy and society, even before we started operations.
“At inception, we called on local communities to take up employment opportunities. This prioritisation resulted in hundreds of people being employed from local villages and wards in Goromonzi District of Mashonaland East Province, while more and more people with varying skills came from all over the country. “Our project employed about 1000 people during the construction stage, and is set to employ hundreds more when production goes full scale.”
As part of the company’s community-driven initiatives, PLZ has invested in education, health, water, security and road infrastructure in the district, following recommendations by a local committee. This year, the company will embark on further corporate social responsibility initiatives.
General Manager, Mr Henry Zhu praised the progress achieved in the past year.
“The year 2022 was a notable year for us for many reasons but of importance was that we started construction of the processing plant with the blessings of our mother company Huayou,” Mr Zhu said
“I am happy to say the construction stage is almost over and we now commissioning the plant after which we can fully produce the product.”
Mr Trevor Barnard, the deputy general manager chronicled how the lithium resource was first discovered in 2017 and the process that led to the acquisition by Huayou last year. He expressed satisfaction at the speed with which the project has been completed leading to the successful commencement.
The plant, which has a capacity of 450mt per annum, and one of the world’s biggest, will be officially commissioned soon.
