Critical minerals company LOHUM has officially commenced mining operations in Zimbabwe and is targeting annual production of around 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate within the next two to three years. According to founder and CEO Rajat Verma, the company has made its first dispatch of ore from Zimbabwe, marking the start of its lithium operations in the country. As reported by Business Standard, Verma stated that drilling, blasting and excavation activities have begun across the 10 spodumene-bearing mining blocks covering approximately 1,100 hectares. The first ore was expected to emerge shortly after mining operations began, with the company already securing rights to an additional 90 blocks that provide preferred rights of first refusal before those blocks can be offered to other buyers. Verma confirmed that "the operations have commenced. We expect the first batch of ores to start coming out in the next one week or so."
The company has secured rights to 10 spodumene-bearing lithium mining blocks covering about 1,100 hectares in Zimbabwe. According to Business Standard, LOHUM announced the first dispatch of ore from the Zimbabwe assets on Wednesday, marking the start of its lithium operations in the country. The initial 10 blocks are expected to support production of approximately 300,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent over the life of the assets. The Zimbabwe operation marks LOHUM's first direct ownership of overseas mining assets, representing a significant milestone as the company's first mining asset outside India, having previously worked with mines in several countries by processing concentrates produced by those operations. LOHUM is calling itself "the first Indian firm to start lithium operations globally" in this strategic move.
LOHUM plans to mine and conduct initial processing of the material in Zimbabwe before refining it into lithium carbonate in India through an integrated supply chain. As reported by Business Standard, the company is setting up a new lithium refinery in India for the Zimbabwe material, with the planned integrated chain expected to include conversion of mined material into crude lithium sulphate and then into refined lithium carbonate. The company is also establishing a cathode active material facility, which could make LOHUM its own customer for lithium carbonate before the material eventually reaches cell manufacturers. At prevailing lithium carbonate prices, the deposits have an estimated in-situ value of approximately $7 billion. Verma emphasized that "the capacity that we are setting up everywhere as to how much are we mining, how much are we converting into crude lithium sulfate and how much are we ultimately converting into pure lithium carbonate is about 30,000 tons per year."
LOHUM already has customers in India and overseas that buy its lithium carbonate, while the company is also in discussions with additional domestic companies. According to Business Standard, growth in cathode active material manufacturing capacity would be important for creating additional domestic demand for lithium carbonate. The Zimbabwe investment reflects LOHUM's broader approach to acquiring critical mineral assets overseas, with the company particularly focused on assets that can begin generating throughput within one to two years rather than projects requiring a decade or more to develop. Verma outlined the company's strategic approach, stating that "overseas acquisitions must clear three tests, cheap purchase, quick production and local value addition, as Chinese firms are already entrenched in many resource-rich countries." The company's next steps include expanding mining and initial processing in Zimbabwe, establishing the planned Indian refinery, and developing downstream cathode-material capacity.
The Zimbabwe operation marks LOHUM's first mining asset outside India, with the company having partnerships with mines in several countries where it processes concentrates produced by those mines. As reported by Business Standard, LOHUM is also continuing to explore opportunities in other critical minerals, particularly nickel and nickel-copper ores. Verma emphasized the company's focus on assets that can begin generating throughput within one to two years, stating that if they don't start delivering in a short time frame, they keep going further behind in the race with China. "We are already 15 years behind. And so if you get an asset that needs another 15 years to develop, you will be 30 years behind," he explained. The company has not yet disclosed the Indian refinery's location or a detailed commissioning schedule, with the facility expected to handle the conversion of mined material into crude lithium sulphate and ultimately into pure lithium carbonate.
