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New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Cobalt refinery start-up highlights critical minerals potential of Zambia
13/8/2025
News
Kobaloni Energy is commissioning what it calls Africa’s first cobalt sulphate refinery, to finish by the end of the year. Together with its northern neighbour the Democratic Republic of Congo, the African country of Zambia holds 58% of the world’s cobalt-bearing copper resource. The former metal is prized for use in lithium-ion batteries. It is just one of many reserves of critical minerals for energy transition technologies to be found in the country, according to a new report from Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development and the UK’s British Geological Survey (BGS).
The Kobaloni Energy project represents ‘a major milestone in diversifying the global supply chain and a move that could be a crucial moment in both Zambia and Africa’s mineral valorisation efforts’, says the report. The facility will be one of only a few outside China capable of producing cobalt sulphate.
US-based Terra Metals is also relaunching a copper-cobalt acid leach plant in the Kabompo Dome area to the north-west of the country in 2025.
The news comes a year after the Zambian government announced a national strategy to more than triple its copper production to 3mn t/y by 2031. Zambia is the tenth-largest copper producer globally, contributing 3% of total output, according to the report. The country is expected to play a critical role in meeting an anticipated 25% rise in global demand by 2040, it says.
With several large-scale projects set to come online by 2026, including Sinomine Resources’ Kitumba mine, Mimosa Resources’ Kashime mine and KoBold Metals’ Mingomba mine, Zambia’s copper sector is ‘primed for expansion’, the report notes.
In the Southern Province’s Choma Belt, UK-based First Africa Metals has confirmed high-grade lithium deposits at its Misika and Kandela projects, with additional exploration ongoing across Tonga, Konayuma and Rock Valley. With global lithium demand set to grow by 350% by 2040, driven by surging demand for lithium-ion batteries, these assets could ‘significantly boost Zambia’s export revenues and job creation’, suggests the report.
Another critical mineral in steel production (for wind turbine components, for example) is manganese. Zambia’s first large-scale manganese mine – Musamu Resources’ Luongo open-pit mine – is scaling output to 1mn t/y by 2027, after starting up in 2022.
Furthermore, columbite-tantalite – used in the electronics, aerospace and energy sectors – represents ‘an untapped opportunity for Zambia to diversify its mineral base and revenue streams’, adds the report. Exploration is underway by Maamba Collieries in the Southern Province and Malaika Exploration in north-eastern Zambia. Global demand for the mineral is projected to increase by up to 525% by 2040, according to the report.
Elsewhere, significant graphite prospects have been identified in Petauke and Lundazi in eastern Zambia, and in Kapiri Mposhi in the Central Province. High-grade discoveries have been made at Mvuvye and Njoka in eastern Zambia. Other known discoveries in the area include the Sasare and Mkonda deposits. As companies such as Malaika Exploration move to commercialise these assets, Zambia is set to help meet a forecast 130% surge in global graphite demand by 2040, suggests the report.
Critical minerals data
This year’s Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy has expanded its coverage of the global minerals market to include tin, vanadium, bauxite, aluminium and zinc, in addition to copper, manganese and nickel.
