Insiza lithium project progress impresses investor

PREMIER African Minerals Limited, the investor behind the multi-million dollar lithium project in Insiza District, is impressed with plant establishment progress on the ground as it gears to commence production.

On Monday the company halted its night shift construction schedule as officials are satisfied with the level of plant assembly progress.
With the relocation of affected homesteads already underway, the mining firm is targeting production this quarter at its Zulu Lithium project situated in Fort Rixon, Matabeleland South.

Pictures show construction work at the lithium mine at Fort Rixon, Insiza District

The project is regarded as potentially the largest undeveloped lithium-bearing pegmatite in Zimbabwe, covering a surface of about 3,5 square kilometres, which is prospectively for lithium and tantalum mineralisation.
Project site manager, Mr Jabulani Chirasha, said they were well on course to meeting set deadlines as the assembling of plant is moving at a fast pace.

Mr Jabulani Chirasha

“We are happy that every structure is coming into place. There is a lot of activity here,” he said in an interview on site.
“In the last two weeks, we were working in shifts including night shift in order for us to cover the project schedule.
“From last night (Monday) we said no more night shift.

We are actually on target in terms of completion.”
Key infrastructure such as the water purification tank is already under construction and would cater for the whole plant at recommended purification requirements.

Multiple civil support construction works both at the plant site and the main masonry arch dam are also progressing well and remain on target to produce spodumene in the first quarter of this year.

The construction of the dam wall is moving at a fast pace amid indications it has reached 76 metres from underground while more equipment is being delivered.

Group chief executive officer, Mr George Roach, recently said the plant construction has hit the home stretch point.
“We are into the home stretch with pilot plant construction and site activity is frenetic with multiple work streams all targeting the same near-term completion date,” said Mr Roach.
“Pre-strip has commenced in the initial pit area to be developed. Activity in the pilot plant assembly areas is now on a 24/7 basis.”

Chief executive officer, Mr George Roach

The Zulu Lithium project is set to produce a rare high value spodumene, a rock that has very high mineralisation of lithium. Spodumene is a battery-grade product that is key for the future of electric cars.
Due to the emerging electric motor vehicle industry, there is increased international demand for the lithium mineral known as “white oil”, which is used for manufacturing batteries.-chronicle.cozw