Zijin Mining advances DRC–Tanzania lithium corridor as Lake Tanganyika cargo fleet nears completion for Manono project exports
China’s Zijin Mining is developing a dedicated logistics corridor to connect its Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Tanganyika Province to export terminals in Tanzania.
As part of this strategy, the company is nearing completion of a fleet of cargo vessels designed to operate on Lake Tanganyika, forming a critical link in the regional supply chain and enabling a structured export route for lithium products.
Construction of the vessels is more than 95 percent complete as of March 2026. Two vessels have already been finalized, a third is awaiting regulatory clearance from Tanzania’s maritime authorities, and a fourth vessel has been launched and is scheduled for completion in July 2026.
The rollout of the fleet marks a significant step toward operational readiness for the transport corridor.
The first vessel in the series, Golden Voyage No. 1, was launched in November 2025 and represents a key milestone in establishing a reliable transport route between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
Each vessel measures approximately 70 meters in length and 15 meters in width, with a carrying capacity of about 2,000 tons and an operational range of roughly 1,000 nautical miles.
The ships were manufactured in modular sections in China before being transported to Tanzania for final assembly at the port of Karema, a method that accelerated deployment while managing logistical constraints.
The vessel fleet is designed primarily to support the supply chain for the Manono lithium project, one of the largest hard-rock lithium developments in Central Africa.
Under the planned logistics configuration, lithium concentrate will be transported by road approximately 440 kilometers from the Manono mine site to the lakeside city of Kalemie.
From there, cargo will be loaded onto bulk vessels operating across Lake Tanganyika to the port of Kigoma in western Tanzania, before continuing overland to the port of Dar es Salaam for export to international markets.
This multimodal system integrates road, inland waterway, and maritime transport into a single export corridor designed to improve reliability, manage logistics costs, and provide consistent throughput capacity.
The lake transport operation forms part of a broader infrastructure strategy aimed at securing long-term export capability for the Manono project and supporting sustained production volumes.
In addition to the vessel deployment, Zijin Mining has secured concessions to operate and upgrade key logistics assets in Tanzania, including facilities at Kigoma and the Malindi terminal at the port of Dar es Salaam.
Planned modernization works include improvements to warehouses, storage areas, and cargo-handling equipment to enhance operational efficiency and accommodate increased mineral export volumes.
The Manono lithium project itself is designed as a large-scale mining and processing operation with an annual capacity to handle approximately five million tons of ore.
The processing facility is expected to produce around 500,000 tons of spodumene concentrate annually, yielding roughly 95,000 tons of crude lithium sulfate. Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for June 30, 2026.
The deployment of cargo vessels on Lake Tanganyika is therefore a central component of Zijin Mining’s logistics architecture, providing a controlled and scalable export pathway from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to the Indian Ocean.
Once fully operational, the corridor is expected to strengthen regional trade flows, improve supply chain predictability, and position the Manono project as a significant contributor to the global battery minerals market.
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