Local production of spodumene concentrate from stockpiles of ore at an existing lithium mine near Springbok in South Africa’s Northern Cape province is expected to start in the second half of next year.
Lithium Africa, listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange, is opting to move forward with processing that stockpile as well as newly mine pegmatite at an onsite dense media separation plant, reports Mining Weekly. The company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the processed ore to step up its mining operations at Norrebees1, for which it has a valid mining licence.
The company will require additional approvals to build the plant as well as environmental authorisation, reports StockTitan. The company is targeting an initial mineral resource estimate and a financing decision in the first half of 2027.
‘Self-funding exploration through small-scale mining is a uniquely African way to explore for lithium, and it is how we intend to unlock the Springbok District. Lithium projects that can target production in 2027 are few and far between, and we believe Springbok is one of them: a permitted mine, with feeder material ready on surface,’ says CEO Thomas Benson.
Lithium is considered a critical mineral, as it is a vital component of electric batteries for new energy vehicles.
On its website, Lithium Africa likens the Springbok project to Brazil’s Lithium Valley, where more than 250 million tons of resources and ‘over US$2 billion of market value are spread across five separate companies’. The company points out that at Springbok, the equivalent district is held under one licence.
The company’s prospecting right covers 1 675 km² with more than 40 known spodumene-bearing pegmatites over a distance of 50 km.
