Dave Evans
Regular
Lithium de Manono : l’investissement de Zijin estimé à près d’un milliard de dollars
L’investissement nécessaire pour développer le projet de lithium de Manono est estimé à près d’un milliard de dollars, a indiqué l’agence de presse Reuters, après un entretien avec le directeur financier de la Congolaise d’exploitation minière (Cominière), Alpha Monga Mwidia, en marge de la...bankable.africa
Manono lithium: Zijin's investment estimated at nearly one billion dollars
Creation date: Friday, February 13, 2026 09:18
Last modified: February 13, 2026, 10:47 AM
The investment needed to develop the Manono lithium project is estimated at nearly one billion dollars, Reuters news agency reported , after an interview with the financial director of Congolaise d'exploitation minière (Cominière), Alpha Monga Mwidia, on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba conference, which ended on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town (South Africa).
Cominière is the state-owned company with which the Chinese group Zijin Mining formed the Manono Lithium joint venture to develop the northeastern part of the Manono lithium deposit, located in Tanganyika province, in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The developers estimate the resources at 6.47 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, with an average grade of 1.5% lithium oxide, placing the project among the largest in the world.
According to Alpha Monga, quoted by Reuters , Zijin Mining is solely responsible for this investment. However, according to updated data, the Chinese group now holds 54.9% of the project's shares, down from the initial 61%. These changes in shareholding have not been explained.
Production start postponed
The costs covered by this investment have not been detailed. However, on its website, Zijin presents the project as a multi-component undertaking: construction of the mine, the processing unit, the conversion plant—including a calcination furnace—and logistics facilities. It is designed for an annual extraction and processing capacity of 5 million tons of ore, as well as the conversion of 500,000 tons of spodumene concentrate, to produce 95,170 tons of raw lithium sulfate per year.
“ Mining, processing, and conversion projects, as well as logistics facilities and river diversion works, are progressing according to schedule, with commissioning planned for June 30, 2026, ” the Chinese group stated, adding that the accommodation camp and the Phase I solar power plant are already operational. Zijin, which had initially planned to begin production in the first quarter of 2025, did not explain the three-month delay.
The rehabilitation of the Mpiana-Mwanga hydroelectric power plant, which also supplies electricity to the mining complex, was finally completed in November 2025. The work, carried out by Katamba Mining—a company 70% owned by Zijin and 30% by Cominière—increased the plant's capacity to 40 MW. An expansion is planned to add another 108 MW.
Export route
To leave the DRC, the lithium sulfate will travel along the Manono–Kalemie road (440 km) to the industrial port of Kalemie. From there, it will be transported to the port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, via the port of Kigoma.
Thanks to a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Chinese company Phaepon Construction, the road has been under construction since October 2024. The work is scheduled to last five years. The first phase will create a drivable dirt road before the asphalt is laid.
This phase " is almost ready and we hope for lithium exploitation by June 2026 ," said Tanganyika Governor Christian Kitungwa Muteba in a promotional video for the 11th edition of Expobeton, a trade fair dedicated to the development of cities, corridors and special economic zones, which will be held in Kalemie from May 27 to 30, 2026.
Prices falling
The industrial port of Kalemie is also under construction through a public-private partnership (PPP) with a consortium formed by Jintai Mining PTE Ltd and Tembo Majengo Company SARL. The commissioning of the first phase—representing an estimated investment of $70 million—is scheduled for the end of 2026.
According to Cominière's CEO, given its investment, Zijin will have the privilege of marketing all production and will share the revenues proportionally to its participation in the Manono Lithium joint venture, after deduction of production costs.
The project's development therefore does not appear to be hampered by a global lithium surplus, driven in particular by China, a situation that is putting downward pressure on prices. The price of spodumene has fallen by more than 80% since its peak in 2022. It has dropped from over $80,000 per ton to around $10,000 in 2025.
Pierre Mukoko
Keep them coming Sam
Bankable RDC
@Bankable_RDC
Zijin’s Manono lithium investment seen at nearly $1 billion http://bankable.africa/en/mining/1302-2399-zijin-s-manono-lithium-investment-seen-at-nearly-1-billion
Dave Evans
@DaveEva12049801
Read the reports from @ALINGETEJULES_K @iccwbo and @icsid on Celestin Kibeya and Cominiere’s Board of Directors’ corruption and Zijin’s mining violations in the links below
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/cominieres-corruption.254349/
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/reports-on-zijin-minings-violations.259614/
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/response-to-bhrcs-nine-red-flags-in-the-emerging-lithium-sector-in-the-drc.262675/
World Bank Group and 9 others
Feb 13, 2026
