Premier African Minerals kick start operations at Zulu
Premier African Minerals has commenced operations at its Zulu Lithium Mine near Bulawayo and says it will produce the first ore at the mining facility by mid-April.
The company recently made its first blast at the mine and is now waiting for one regent to arrive before it will be able to produce SE6, a concentrate and a step up in the processing of the ore that the company is planning to export.
“We are waiting for one regent to arrive which is on its way. The objective is to produce SE6 as it is known. It’s a concentrate and a step up in processing of the ore that we are planning to export,” Chief Executive Officer George Roach said.
Premier African Minerals anticipates that it will be one of the early producers of high-grade Spodumene in the country.
“I think we are going to be one of the early producers of high grade Spodumene (source of lithium) in Zimbabwe” Roach added on.
Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves in Africa and the sixth-largest deposits worldwide. It has the highest number of Lithium projects under exploration on the continent.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development (MMMD) and the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe list Areas of verified Lithium deposits in Zimbabwe are found in Goromonzi, Mudzi, Buhera, Bikita, Chegutu, Hwange, Harare, Insiza, Rushinga, Mutoko, Mutare and Hwange. However, Lithium continues to be discovered in various areas across the country. So far the mineral has been discovered in areas such as Mberengwa, Fort Rixon, Bindura, and Kadoma cementing the statement by veteran Geologist Mr Kennedy Mtetwa that “Zimbabwe is hamstrung by lack of exploration”.
The country’s underground lithium deposits are some of the largest in the world, offering considerable scope for new discoveries.