Marula Mining, a company focused on mining and development in Africa, is finalizing negotiations with a Chinese battery manufacturer and its current lithium offtake partner to form a joint venture (JV) at the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine in South Africa’s Northern Cape.
The partnership aims to commission, finance, and operate a lithium acid leaching plant to produce intermediate lithium products for battery manufacturing and other high-value applications.
The JV negotiations, ongoing for several months, have involved extensive testwork on Blesberg’s materials in China. Detailed engineering, process design, and cost reviews have also been completed for the lithium processing plant.
Marula anticipates formalizing the JV by the fourth quarter of 2024, with the plant expected to be operational in the first half of 2025. The facility is projected to produce 2,000 tons per year of high-grade lithium sulfate for sale in global markets.
