Are Unscrupulous Chinese Firms Misappropriating Lithium Resources In Africa?
By Agencies
Worth Noting:
- According to data from BP’s 2022 Statistical Review of World Energy, China is the third largest producer of lithium, controlling 60 per cent of the world’s battery-grade lithium refining capacity.
- In late March this year, at the 3rd Global Lithium Resources Conference held in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, China, several Chinese companies identified some spodumene resources in Africa and North America that are the growth point of global lithium supply. Compared with Europe and North America, Africa is an area where Chinese companies could intervene in the future.
- Regarding the expansion of Chinese companies, the United States has pushed for commercial investment in Africa in recent years to check and balance the influence of Communist China in Africa.
Africa has become a new target for China to control Lithium resources, a critical raw material for electric vehicle batteries, dubbed as the white oil of the 21st century.
The rapid expansion of lithium production capacity by Chinese companies in African nations has attracted world attention amidst the chaotic business environment in the continent.
Recently, the progress of a Chinese company’s lithium refining plant in Africa has attracted widespread attention.
On March 20 this year, Huayou Cobalt, a Chinese battery mineral producer, announced that its Arcadia lithium mine development project in Zimbabwe, Africa, had begun trial production of lithium concentrate and produced the first batch of products.
The Arcadia Lithium Mine is one of Africa’s three largest lithium mines.
The other two major lithium mines in Africa, the Manono lithium mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Goulamina lithium mine in Mali, also have Chinese companies as shareholders, including China’s Zijin Mining and Ganfeng Lithium and Ningde era holding companies.
Only the Bikita mine in Zimbabwe previously produced lithium ore in Africa, and China Mining Resources Group holds a 74 per cent stake in the mine. Most of the other lithium projects in Africa still need to be completed.
Arcadia’s lithium concentrate plant has drawn much attention as Chinese companies dominate global lithium refining capacity.
According to data from BP’s 2022 Statistical Review of World Energy, China is the third largest producer of lithium, controlling 60 per cent of the world’s battery-grade lithium refining capacity.
In late March this year, at the 3rd Global Lithium Resources Conference held in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, China, several Chinese companies identified some spodumene resources in Africa and North America that are the growth point of global lithium supply. Compared with Europe and North America, Africa is an area where Chinese companies could intervene in the future.
Regarding the expansion of Chinese companies, the United States has pushed for commercial investment in Africa in recent years to check and balance the influence of Communist China in Africa.
However, due to the limited conditions of African lithium mines and Africa’s chaotic political and business environment, it is not easy for Chinese companies to develop.
According to the Chinese Sichuan Geological Survey Institute, Africa is rich in lithium resources, but lithium-containing minerals and beneficiation processes are complex and have low recovery rates.
The Alpha Factory Research Institute, which regularly publishes research reports on listed companies, said in an analysis report in March this year that compared with Australia, the distribution of lithium mines in Africa is more scattered, with fewer large-scale projects and a large proportion of small-scale lithium mines.
Many small mines have even been mining with primitive tools such as crowbars and hammers; there are also a lot of manual processes in the ore-crushing process, and environmental protection issues are not considered.
In addition, lax supervision and chaotic security management have also made Africa a paradise for speculators.
According to the “African Future” report, small mine owners and traders have greatly stimulated the rampant black market of lithium mines in Africa, smuggled mining and smuggling of minerals, and caused heavy losses to Zimbabwe and other countries.
According to the African Observer report, in Nigeria, the locals regard the Chinese as “walking wallets” and are often targeted by attacks.
A businessman of Chinese descent revealed that they must be equipped with sufficient fire cover whenever labourers venture into the mine.
The report said that over the past five years, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Zamfara state in Nigeria due to mining conflicts.
Local militants, gangs and other forces are intertwined, and gun battles may occur anytime.
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