Premier African Minerals has announced a major breakthrough at its Zulu Lithium Project, with the plant transitioning from the commissioning phase to refining and optimization—marking a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s expanding lithium production sector.
Although the project previously faced production delays due to technical issues at the processing plant and missed delivery deadlines with its offtake partner Canmax Technologies, the company has secured new funding and initiated plant upgrades. The latest update confirms the successful production of saleable spodumene concentrate with lithium oxide grades exceeding 5% (peaking at 6.2%), as well as the completion of the second-phase test run by the original equipment manufacturer, achieving fully automated and continuous production.
The company stated that while flotation process optimization remains ongoing, the project has officially entered the refining and optimization stage. The board has decided to postpone the procurement of a secondary flotation plant to allow the newly appointed Managing Director time to reassess the strategy. CEO George Roach stated, "The rebound in spodumene prices presents a profit opportunity for the project. The next step involves securing financing and optimizing management to achieve sustained profitability and debt repayment."