from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ARCADIA Technology Zimbabwe (ATZ), a subsidiary of Huayou Cobalt and sister company to Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ), is finalising construction of a whopping $400 million (R7 billion) lithium sulphate processing plant in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East.
The project, now nearing completion, is central to Zimbabwe’s ambition of moving up the global lithium value chain and aligns with the Government’s Vision 2030 goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy through value addition and beneficiation.
During a media tour on Thursday, ATZ managing director Henry Zhu described the project as a “game changer” that will not only transform Goromonzi District but also position Zimbabwe as a competitive force in the global energy transition.
“The lithium sulphate plant is more than infrastructure—it is an investment in jobs, technology transfer and long-term industrialisation,” Zhu said.
The facility is expected to employ more than 1,000 locals once operational, while spurring demand for skills in chemical processing and related industries.
Journalists also toured the Arcadia mining site, road upgrades under way in Goromonzi, and women empowerment projects supported by PLZ, highlighting the company’s broader social and economic footprint.
Zimbabwe holds some of the world’s largest untapped lithium reserves, a mineral critical for batteries used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. However, for decades the sector has been dominated by raw ore exports.
The ATZ project signals a shift towards beneficiation, ensuring more value is retained domestically.
If successfully implemented, analysts say, the plant could make Goromonzi a hub for green energy minerals and a key contributor to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda.
– CAJ News