Zimbabwe records zero failures in its one year lithium experiment

In a monumental leap for Zimbabwe's clean-tech ambitions, Verify Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development, has achieved a zero-failure rate on its lithium-ion batteries after a year-long test phase.

• Verify Engineering (Pvt) Ltd achieved a zero-failure rate on their lithium-ion batteries after a year-long test phase.
• These batteries have a 10-year lifespan and are suitable for use in various small electronic devices.
• Zimbabwe, possessing extensive lithium resources, aims to become a significant player in the green tech sector.

Production-grade batteries, often used in mobile phones and tiny gadgets, have undergone thorough testing and are rated for a 10-year lifetime.

Verify Engineering's CEO, Engineer Pedzisai Tapfumaneyi, affirmed the result, citing the product's robustness and capability for scalability.

"We are happy that the product went for some tests lasting the whole year, and we can confirm that only last month we recorded zero failure rate on the product,” Tapfumaneyi stated.

Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves in Africa and the fifth-largest lithium resources worldwide, as seen in the Herald.

The enormous lithium reserves could provide the southern African nation with the much-needed foreign exchange to fund its development goals if they are mined, processed, and exported.

Additionally, Zimbabwe may become a major regional producer of lithium batteries and other green products essential to the shift to greener energy if the lithium reserves serve as the foundation for a green economy.

Since December 2022, the government has implemented a ban on exporting raw lithium concentrate, pushing for domestic beneficiation under the Base Mineral Export Control Act.

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The aim is to stimulate value addition, retain revenue within the country, and curb smuggling.

Verify Engineering, founded in April 2005 and already selling medical and industrial gases, has grown its reach throughout Zimbabwe, including Harare, Bulawayo, and Mutare.

The company's next objective is to raise funds and find industry partners to create a full-scale lithium-ion battery production facility.

“I am sure you recall that we won an award for producing the lithium-ion battery, and we are pleased that the product underwent a year-long test, which we can confirm resulted in a zero failure rate last month.

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What this means is that the product is functioning well, with a normal lifespan of 10 years. We are now focusing on commercialising the product,” Tapfumaneyi once revealed in an interview.

“Commercialising the lithium-ion battery will require approximately US$28 million to establish a large-scale manufacturing plant. The initial research phase for the product cost nearly US$500,000,” he added.

Verify Engineering's achievement aligns with Zimbabwe's beneficiation goal.

The government has imposed tariffs on unprocessed resources (5% on platinum), eliminated charges on processing equipment, and is accelerating infrastructure projects like as power plants and industrial parks.

A Mines-to-Energy Industrial Park in Mapinga will include battery-grade lithium manufacturing, graphite processing, and electric vehicle battery factories.

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