Namibia has started shipping lithium ore concentrate from what is estimated to be one of the biggest reserves in the world.
The first 30 000-ton shipment from the Desert Lion mine around 220 kilometres from Walvis Bay, and situated in Namibia’s western Erongo Region, has been shipped.
According to Tim Johnston, president and chief executive officer of Desert Lion Energy, it was the largest single shipment of lithium ever from the African continent.
He said the mine would have an annual output of about 280 000 tons of lithium concentrate, which would make it one of the biggest lithium mines in the world.
Namport will facilitate the exportation of the 30 000 tons of lithium concentrate every six weeks to Mainland China via Walvis Bay. Currently the major lithium producing areas of the world are Western Australia (for hard rock) and South America (for brine).
Much of this ends up in China.
