Lithium concentrate output from the Sabi Star lithium mine in Zimbabwe is delivering to China's Chengxin after the launch of commercial production at the start of the month.
The first batch of commercial-grade lithium concentrate was produced during pilot production in June — international engineering firm ENFI started construction of the mine in May 2022. The mine has an annual beneficiation capacity of 1mn t, corresponding to 200,000 t/yr of lithium concentrate.
Major lithium producer Chengxin Lithium operates Sabi Star after it acquired 51pc of Max Mind Investment in November 2021, which owns the mine. Chengxin's subsidiary in Zimbabwe owns 40 mining warrants in the lithium-tantalum project.
Chengxin also mines tantalum and niobium concentrates from the project, with the capacity details undisclosed.
The firm has accelerated its development of overseas resources in recent years. It started construction of a production facility for lithium salts in Indonesia's Morowali industrial park in December, with a capacity of 60,000 t/yr. Its subsidiary, Chengze Lithium, in December unveiled a plan to take full control of Argentine lithium mining firm Hantara. It has also secured spodumene concentrate supplies from Australian spodumene producer Galaxy Resources, as well as mining companies AVZ Minerals and ABY.
Chengxin produced 47,659t of lithium salts, including carbonate and hydroxide in 2022, up by 18pc from a year earlier, with sales rising by 13pc to 47,470t over the same period.
ENFI has geological, metallurgical and mining engineering expertise, as well as patents in processing technologies. It signed in July an agreement with Indonesian firm Mitra Murni Perkasa (MMP) to build a nickel matte production plant in Indonesia.
The first batch of commercial-grade lithium concentrate was produced during pilot production in June — international engineering firm ENFI started construction of the mine in May 2022. The mine has an annual beneficiation capacity of 1mn t, corresponding to 200,000 t/yr of lithium concentrate.
Major lithium producer Chengxin Lithium operates Sabi Star after it acquired 51pc of Max Mind Investment in November 2021, which owns the mine. Chengxin's subsidiary in Zimbabwe owns 40 mining warrants in the lithium-tantalum project.
Chengxin also mines tantalum and niobium concentrates from the project, with the capacity details undisclosed.
The firm has accelerated its development of overseas resources in recent years. It started construction of a production facility for lithium salts in Indonesia's Morowali industrial park in December, with a capacity of 60,000 t/yr. Its subsidiary, Chengze Lithium, in December unveiled a plan to take full control of Argentine lithium mining firm Hantara. It has also secured spodumene concentrate supplies from Australian spodumene producer Galaxy Resources, as well as mining companies AVZ Minerals and ABY.
Chengxin produced 47,659t of lithium salts, including carbonate and hydroxide in 2022, up by 18pc from a year earlier, with sales rising by 13pc to 47,470t over the same period.
ENFI has geological, metallurgical and mining engineering expertise, as well as patents in processing technologies. It signed in July an agreement with Indonesian firm Mitra Murni Perkasa (MMP) to build a nickel matte production plant in Indonesia.