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The Democratic Republic of Congo has entered the global lithium export market after China’s Zijin Mining began shipping lithium concentrate from the Manono project to China, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to diversify its critical minerals sector.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has commenced its first-ever exports of lithium concentrate, with Chinese mining giant Zijin Mining shipping material from the Manono lithium projectto China, according to sources familiar with the development.
The milestone marks Congo’s formal entry into the global lithium supply chain and further strengthens China’s position in one of Africa’s most strategically important critical minerals markets.
Sources close to the project said exports began in June, with all initial shipments destined for Chinese processing facilities.
The Manono project is widely regarded as one of the world’s largest undeveloped hard-rock lithium deposits and is expected to become a major source of battery-grade raw materials used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
The project is operated by Manono Lithium, a joint venture owned by:
- Zijin Mining (54.9%)
- State-owned Cominiere (35.1%)
- Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (10%)
The launch of exports represents Congo’s first commercial participation in the global lithium market, complementing its already dominant role in cobalt production.
Industry sources indicated that the first exports are relatively modest and likely form part of the project’s commissioning phase after earlier technical delays.
One trader estimated that initial export volumes amount to only a few thousand tonnes, while another suggested that tens of thousands of tonnes of concentrate have already been produced, with much of the material still in transit to China.
Concentrate is reportedly being transported by truck from Manono to the lakeside city of Kalemie, before continuing through Tanzaniafor export to Asian markets.
According to a company notice issued earlier this month, the project’s processing plant entered production in May 2026, one month ahead of schedule.
Construction of downstream processing facilities, including smelting operations, is expected to be completed by December 2026, accelerating the project’s development.
Zijin has set a production target of approximately 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalentthis year.
Once fully operational, the mine is expected to:
- Process around 5 million tonnes of ore annually; and
- Produce approximately 1 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate each year.
Despite the production milestone, the Manono project remains the subject of an ongoing legal dispute.
The Congolese government revoked the exploration permit previously held by Australia’s AVZ Minerals before reallocating part of the project to Manono Lithium.
Meanwhile, U.S.-backed KoBold Metals, which controls an adjacent licence area, has stated that it will not proceed with development until outstanding legal issues surrounding the project have been resolved.
The launch of Congo’s first lithium exports highlights the country’s growing importance in the global transition to clean energy. Already the world’s leading supplier of cobalt, the DRC is now positioning itself as an emerging producer of lithium—another critical mineral essential for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage technologies. The development also reinforces China’s dominant role across Africa’s battery minerals value chain through continued investment in mining, processing and downstream infrastructure.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Maxwell Akalaare Adombila, Amy Lv and Tom Daly.