en.Wedoany.com Reported - China's Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Zijin Mining," 601899.SH) officially commenced lithium concentrate exports from its Manono lithium project in the Tanganyika Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in June 2026, with all products shipped to China. This move marks the DRC's first lithium resource export, further consolidating the position of Chinese companies in the global critical minerals supply chain.
The Manono deposit is one of the world's largest undeveloped hard rock lithium resources. The project is 54.9% controlled by Zijin Mining, with the DRC state-owned mining company Cominiere holding 35.1% and the Congolese government holding 10%. Despite legal disputes arising from the revocation of mining rights held by Australian miner AVZ Minerals, Zijin Mining has proceeded with project development as planned.
According to a Reuters report on July 15, five sources familiar with the matter confirmed that exports began as scheduled in June. A mining executive stated that initial exports may be trial shipments, as technical issues delayed the commissioning of the processing plant. A trader estimated that the first batch of exports amounted to only a few thousand tons, but the project has already produced tens of thousands of tons of concentrate, most of which is still in transit and expected to arrive in China by October. In a notice on July 9, the company stated that the Manono processing plant commenced production in May 2026, one month ahead of schedule. The smelter and other downstream facilities are expected to start production in December, accelerating the project's capacity ramp-up.
Zijin Mining aims to produce 30,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) from the Manono project in 2026. The project is designed to process 5 million tons of ore annually, producing approximately 1 million tons of spodumene concentrate per year. To support exports, Zijin Mining is building a dedicated logistics corridor connecting Manono to an export terminal in Tanzania, passing through the city of Kalemie on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
This export marks a key step in the DRC's transition from a traditional copper and cobalt exporter to a lithium resource supplier. Currently, Zijin Mining, CMOC Group, and Huayou Cobalt have become major Chinese investors in the DRC's critical minerals sector. With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle and energy storage industries, emerging lithium supply from Africa will become an important direction for the restructuring of the global lithium supply chain.
