1. ZIMASSET ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AWARENESS SEMINAR (12-13 MARCH 2014) Potential Contribution of Lithium and Tantalite to Economic Development 1

2. LITHIUM Currently being mined at Bikita Minerals in the district of Masvingo. Main mineral is petalite (lithium aluminium tectosilicate [LiAl(Si 2 O 5 ) 2 ]. Ore currently undergoes beneficiation at Bikita Minerals as follows:  Primary, secondary and tertiary crushing.  Dense medium separation. 2

3. Lithium contd  Drying and bagging. Main products exported are :  Low alkali petalite  Gravel petalite  Vitroflux  Pollucite 3

4. Lithium Contd Local Markets Zimglass (Pvt) Ltd – glassmaking Willsgrove Pottery (Pvt) Ltd – tiles, cups, sinks and other ceramic products Regional and International Markets South Africa, Japan, Malaysia and The Netherlands. 4

5. Lithium contd General Uses  Lithium-ion batteries used to power :  Cell phones  Laptops  Computers  Cars (Hybrid and Electric)  Electric bicycles  Glass-making  Ceramic products : tiles, cups, sinks bath tubs etc. 5

6. Lithium contd Exports and Revenue : 2013 Overview  Quantity exported : 40 933,32t  Revenue realised : US$7 609 703,32  Average price : $180/t Potential Contribution of Lithium  Used to make lithium-ion batteries to power cell phones, laptops, computers, hybrid and electric cars and electric bicycles.  Technology : Not in Zimbabwe but very feasible to produce the Lithium Carbonate [Li 2 CO 3 ] powder used to make the batteries 6

7. Lithium contd  Set up a processing plant in Bulawayo  Get the raw materials from Coal - Hwange Lithium – Tin dumps from Kamativi Other raw materials(soda ash from Botswana) Acid from Zimphos  Export the product to China for the production of lithium-ion batteries  Repeat for other lithium deposits 7

8. TANTALITE DEPOSIT Tantalum metal (Ta) is a base metal. Occurs almost always with Niobite and Columbite. Dominant host rock for mineable primary columbite –tantalite deposits, are the granitic rare-metal pegmatites. 8

9. General Characteristics-Tantulum Tantalum is a metallic element extracted (or refined ) from primary and alluvial tantalum mineral deposits. It is hard, blue-grey metal with a very high melting point, (approximately 3000 0 C). The most important tantulum-niobium mineral is tantalite,(Fe,Mn)Ta 2 O 6. 9

10. Occurence In Zimbabwe, main tantalum ore deposits are in the following areas :  Bikita  Kamativi  Mberengewa  Mutoko  Bepe Hills – Odzi  Karoi  Bindura 10

11. World Consumption 2009(Estimated) 1 015t Ta –Primary raw material including tantalite,columbite,struverite,tin slag,synthetic concentrates. 669t Ta-secondary materials (Ta 2 O 5,K 2 TaF 7,scrap) 11

12. Production-Stages Mining-Open pit,artisanal and small scale mining Tantalite mining and the tin-tantalum slag refinery concentrate processors (export to) primary tantalum manufacturers for the processing of tantalum ingots of metallurgical and capacitor grade tantalum distributors 12

13. Application Mainly used to produce ;  More than 70% is consumed by electronics industry-mostly capacitors for laptops, cell phones and computers  Explosives  Super alloys and cemented carbides 13

14. Price Development Price in contained tantalum per kilogram (Sources:USGS 2009); 1990- $90/kg 1995- $85/kg 2000-$ 600/kg 2001-$1 000/kg 2005-$100/kg 2010-$100/kg *Tantalum Powder ($11 000/kg approx) 14

15. Economic Contribution Exports and Revenue : 2013 Overview (Source : MMCZ)  Quantity exported : 20.1t  Revenue realised : US$2 813 901,62  Average price : $140/t Potential Contribution of Tantalum Employment creation (Resuscitation of Kamativi Tin mine and mine expansion at Sandawana Mine in Mberengwa and creation of service centres on other small deposits) New investment in value-addition (production of lithium carbonate and in the long-term –production of lithium batteries) Increased revenue streams from export of value-added products) Possible consolidation of tantalum outputs from different countries (DRC, Mozambique, Zambia and Namibia) to a conviniently-located processing facility 15