The facility is expected to supply copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Kemcore founder and Chief Commercial Officer Calisto Radithipa described the approval as an important milestone for the project.
The company is targeting financial close by December 2026, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 and initial production expected in the first half of 2028.
A new chemicals hub for battery minerals
Kemcore plans to manufacture mining chemicals including sodium metabisulphite, sodium hydrosulphide and sodium isobutyl xanthate. The facility will be developed in phases, with total investment expected to reach about $140 million.
Once fully operational, the plant is projected to produce about 150,000 metric tons of battery-mineral reagents annually.
The project will be built close to sources of key raw materials, including gas, soda ash and salt.
Kemcore is in advanced discussions to secure gas from Botala Energy’s coal-bed methane project. Soda ash and salt will be sourced from the Botash mine, located about 300 kilometres northeast of the planned facility.
A regional push into mineral processing
The plant will be located within Botala Energy’s planned Leupane Energy Hub and Industrial Park in central Botswana.
Botala is also developing plans for up to 700 megawatts of hybrid gas and solar power generation at the industrial hub.
Kemcore says the facility will become Southern Africa’s first integrated battery minerals chemical complex, positioning Botswana to play a larger role in supplying the chemicals needed to process the region’s growing copper and cobalt production.
Source: Africabusinessinsider