Premier African Minerals Awards Spodumene Flotation Plant Contract at Zulu Lithium Project in Zimbabwe
Aim-listed Premier African Minerals has confirmed that its subsidiary, Zulu Lithium, has signed a procurement, installation, and commissioning contract with Thriving Engineering Private, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xinhai Technology Processing, for a spodumene flotation plant at the Zulu lithium and tantalum project in Zimbabwe.
Managing Director Graham Hill highlighted that the agreement is a key step toward improving processing stability and consistency at Zulu. “While the contract took longer than anticipated, the delay allowed for detailed technical discussions and alignment of contractual protections, including performance-related provisions, to meet operational requirements and validate funding,” Hill said.
The contract’s framework links commissioning and elements of payment to defined performance outcomes, ensuring that contractor incentives are aligned with the achievement of operational targets.
Hill added that the agreement supports completion, commissioning, and optimisation of the flotation plant within the previously announced long-stop date.
Flotation Plant Details
The contract covers the supply of flotation equipment and specialist engineering services to support a 15–20 t/h spodumene flotation circuit. Key commercial and technical provisions include:
Delivery of flotation equipment within 15 days.
Onsite engineering support for installation and commissioning.
Process performance guarantees to achieve target spodumene concentrate grades and recoveries at design throughput.
Staged payment structure with commissioning fees linked to performance and throughput metrics.
Civil works for the flotation plant upgrade are already complete, allowing installation and commissioning to proceed without delay.
Subject to logistics and site readiness, Premier expects the upgraded flotation circuit to be fully commissioned and optimised during the second quarter of this year.
This milestone represents a critical step in Premier African Minerals’ strategy to stabilise and optimise processing performance at the Zulu lithium and tantalum project, enhancing the project’s production efficiency and long-term operational reliability.
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