Africa’s geologically prospective regions and abundant natural resources make it an attractive destination for investment. The continent is witnessing the launch of large-scale projects aiming to become global lithium hubs and benefit from the energy transition trends, driven by the increasing demand for minerals like lithium in clean energy technologies. Here are some of the significant lithium mining projects in Africa:
- Goulamina Mine, Mali: With a production target of 831,000 tons per annum (tpa), the Goulamina mine is the first hard rock lithium mine in West Africa. Located near Bamako, the capital city of Mali, it is one of the world’s largest spodumene projects. The mine is being developed by Leo Lithium, a joint venture between global lithium chemical producer Ganfeng and mineral company Firefinch (formerly Birimian). The mine’s development program is underway, and the first concentrate is targeted for early 2024.
- Manono Mine, DRC: Situated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Manono Mine is an open-pit project with estimated reserves of 93 million tons. It is located within the mid-Proterozoic Kibaran Belt. Initially targeting a production of 410,000 tpa of lithium concentrate, revised studies have increased the target to approximately 700,000 tpa. AVZ Minerals, the mine’s developer, announced plans for first spodumene concentrate production in late 2023. However, progress has been delayed due to ownership disputes.
- Bikita Mine, Zimbabwe: Located in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province, the Bikita Mine holds the title of the largest-known lithium deposit globally, with reserves measured at 11 million tons. The mine has been in operation for six decades and is the only major producing lithium mine in Africa. Sinomine Resource Group, the mine’s operator, announced plans to increase lithium concentrate production to around 412,000 tons per year following a $200 million investment announced in the previous year.
- Arcadia Mine, Zimbabwe: The Arcadia Mine, near Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, is the world’s largest hard rock lithium resource. China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt acquired the mine in 2022 for $422 million from Australia’s Prospect Resources. The mine has an estimated production capacity of 400,000 tpa of lithium concentrate and a mine life of 18 years. Huayou began trial production in March 2023.
- Ewoyaa Mine, Ghana: Representing Ghana’s first lithium producing mine, the Ewoyaa Mine is located approximately 100km southwest of Accra, the capital city. Developed by Atlantic Lithium, the project aims to exploit the Ewoyaa, Abonko, and Kaampakrom deposits in Western Ghana. A pre-feasibility study conducted in September 2022 determined a mine life of 12.5 years with an initial capital investment of $125 million. The mine is estimated to hold 18.9 million tons of probable ore, and the first production is targeted for Q3 2024, with an output of up to 225,000 tpa.
These projects reflect Africa’s potential to become a significant player in the global lithium market, taking advantage of its geological resources and contributing to the energy transition in the clean energy sector.
