Land valuation of the propoed site of Mine-to-energy industrial park in Mapinga, Mashonaland West province of South Africa, has began. This will reportedly facilitate the relocation process of the people who currently occupy the site.
A memorandum of understanding for the construction of the approximately US$13 billion mine-to-energy industrial park was signed in September of last year. It was signed by the government and two Chinese companies, Eagle Canyon International Group Limited and Pacific Goal Investment.
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The Mine-to-energy industrial park in Mapinga will be built in phases on a 5,000 hectare piece of land. The project is expected to beneficiate local minerals.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development has been valuing all the developments they have made. It is said that the valuation guarantees that farmers are fairly compensated for their investments when they are moved. This is according to Mr. Lionel Mhlanga, Eagle Canyon International Group Limited’s director.
According to reports, the families that will be moved have been very cooperative.
The number of A2 farmers that would be impacted is 47.
What the mine-to-energy industrial park would include
Two 300 MW power stations, a coking plant, a lithium salt factory, and a plant for processing graphite are all part of the investment that is planned. It also includes a smelter for nickel chromium alloys and a nickel sulphate plant.
The planned US$450 million lithium salt plant would have an initial annual production capacity of 30.000 metric tons. This is according to Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando.
A local lithium-ion battery value chain will also emerge in the mine-to-energy industrial park. It will boost the country’s status as a producer of the batteries necessary to power electric vehicles.
The investment is as per the government’s goal to maximize the mining industry’s value through value addition and the development of mineral value chains.
Jun Liu set up the Eagle Canyon International Group Limited in 1995.
It specializes in real estate, infrastructure projects in China and Southern Africa, and the investment and development of energy minerals.
The mine’s groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by President Mnangagwa in December of last year.