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On June 17, 2022, the commencement ceremony of the Bikita Mine renovation and expansion and new construction project of China Mineral Resources Group Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "China Mineral Resources") was held。Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Minister of Mines, Governor of Masvingo Province and other officials attended and delivered speeches，Wang Pingwei, Chairman and President of China Mineral Resources, Wang Zhenhua, Business director and General manager of Bikita Mine, Wang Zhiwei, Assistant president and general manager of Tanco Mining Co., LTD., and Cheng Qun, general manager of geological Exploration Division, attended the opening ceremony。
President Mnangagwa said that the Zimbabwean government cherishes the willingness of Chinese enterprises to invest in Zimbabwe。In recent years, many Chinese enterprises have invested in various sectors of the Zimbabwean economy, realizing the benefits for investors and local communities“双赢”。The acquisition of the Bikita Mine and the investment in the expansion and construction of new production lines will strengthen Zimbabwe's position as a diversified mineral producer and a major player in the battery mineral supply chain, and will also add value to the manufacturing industry chain。With huge lithium deposits, Zimbabwe has the potential to become a hub for green energy development and manufacturing in Africa。It is hoped that through the investment of international capital from China and other countries, Zimbabwe can fully develop lithium resources, enhance the development level of manufacturing industry, create more industrial added value, help achieve the goal of "mining output value of 12 billion US dollars by 2023", and contribute more to the development of global green energy。
Wang Pingwei said that China mining resources deeply cultivated Zimbabwe's mining market more thanIn the past 15 years, he has won the trust and support of the Zimbabwean government and local people。In order to better enhance the resource utilization value of Bikita mine，More tax revenue and more jobs，China Mineral Resources plans to invest $200m，Expansion and transformation of existing production lines，And build a new production line to process 2 million tons of ore per year，It is expected to be completed in June next year，More than 1,000 new jobs will be created，To promote Zimbabwe's economic and social development, especially in the mining sector。As a responsible Chinese company rooted in the fertile soil of Zimbabwe, we will continue to increase investment, provide more local jobs and development opportunities, and make due contributions to the government's target of 12 billion US dollars in mining output by 2023。I firmly believe that，Under the care and guidance of Mr. President, with the strong support of all levels of government and the public, and with the concerted efforts of all employees of the Bikita Mine，The new production line is sure to be completed successfully，China's mineral resources will certainly make new contributions to China-Zimbabwe economic cooperation，It will make new and greater contributions to the development of China-Zimbabwe relations and China-Zimbabwe friendship。
Bikita mine is the only lithium mine in Africa, located in Zimbabwe's Masvingo province, 325 kilometers away from the capital Harare, and the capital of Masvingo Province and the South African port of Durban, Beira Port of Mozambique have highway and railway connections, convenient transportation, and relatively perfect infrastructure。According to the resource estimation report issued by IRES, the cumulative amount of retained lithium mineral resources discovered in the Bikita lithium mine is 2,941.400,000 tons of ore, Li2O average grade 1.17%, Li2O metal content 34.400,000 tons, equivalent to 84.960,000 tons of Li2CO3 equivalent。In addition, there are still a number of unverified LCT (lithium cesium tantalum type) pegmatite in the Bikita mine area, which has the potential to further expand the reserves of lithium cesium tantalum mineral resources。China Mining Resources plans to increase its mining and processing capacity to 1.2 million tons per year by the end of 2022, and build a new 2 million tons mining and processing line in 2023。It is expected that by the end of 2023, the Bikita mine and Tanco mine will be able to support the company's concentrate supply of 60,000 tons/year LCE production。
