. . . giant lithium project set to take off
Chinese firm Huayou expects to create up to 1 000 new jobs during the construction and production phases of the Arcadia lithium project following the firm’s US$377,8 million acquisition of the Zimbabwe based lithium-ion batteries mineral producer.
The construction of the processing plant at Arcadia Lithium Mine in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East, is now over 80 percent complete and expected to be completed in next month, a mine official has said.
About 1 700 local people have been employed for the construction, part of the investment
of over US$300 million in the mine by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe.
Completion of the construction process will mark the beginning of production, to start in
the first quarter of the year.
In an interview at the mine recently, Arcadia Lithium Mine manager Mr George Togara
said the investment was a giant-in-the-making.
“What you are seeing here is the construction of one of the biggest lithium processing
plants in Africa. Exploration here started in 2016 and when the results came out, it was
found that the project was viable and a decision was made to construct this plant,” said
Mr Togara.
“At the moment, construction phase is now above 80 percent and we expect to finish the
construction process by the end of January next year.
“We will be doing open cast mining and we will subject the ore to a series of size
reduction and we will do all the processes to get our product.”
Part of the product will be exported, generating foreign currency for the country and
creating more indirect jobs for the locals, as well as improving their socio-economic
status.
Speaking during the tour, director for Flagship Infrastructural Programmes and Projects
in the Officeof the President and Cabinet, Mr George Madzimure, said the construction
rate was impressive “The massive developments happening on this side of the country are quite impressive.
From what I was told here, the rate at which they are constructing this plant is
tremendous and at this rate, Vision 2030 will certainly be achieved,” he said.
Provincial development economist for Mashonaland East Mr Tanyaradzwa Mupfawa said
such massive investment will boost the provincial gross domestic product.
“This project came at an opportune time and is addressing the issue of unemployment. I
was told that about 1 700 locals are employed here for the construction phase and we
commend that.
“What I saw here is a massive investment, and is good for the province and our nation at
large. We are going to benefit in terms of both downstream and upstream markets. I am
very happy to see this massive investment in Mashonaland East Province.
“If we can have more companies of this nature bringing such huge investments, surely
our GDP will be boosted. We have another company which is in Manhize, where we are
having the largest plant for iron and steel. We are calling for more investors to come to
Mashonaland East as the province is open for business,” he said.-The Herald
