Lithium: transformation in Manono?
The town of Manono is located 429.9 km from Kamina, capital of the province of Tanganyika.
This semi-rural town is living its moment of glory and for good reason, it is full of a deposit of 6.6 million tons of lithium.
A joint venture between AZ Mineral and Cominiere will carry out this operation, but the transformation can take place elsewhere.
Something that the natives of this city do not understand.
For them, this step must be done on site to allow the development of this region.
Manono's Lithium transformation is already being negotiated.
Indeed, on April 29, Zambia and the DRC signed an agreement on this subject.
A factory could be built either in the DRC, in Zambia or straddling the two countries, but this idea is hardly appealing.
Voices are therefore rising to demand the establishment of this factory in this city.
In a Podcast, Deogracias Ilunga Yolola, university professor and specialist in discourse analysis, deplores the establishment of the Lithium value chain elsewhere than in this city.
”The people who are making their voices heard and raising their voices more and more are right, because it is in their right to say what they think of this exploitation,” he said.
Electrical energy
The transformation of Lithium in a region will also impact its economy. Because it will need skilled labor. This will also inject dividends.
This will boost the economy, but, in addition, the natives will benefit from the transfer of skills.
How do you want to claim to transfer skills to the populations of Manono where we will exploit lithium by setting up the battery processing plant in Lubumbashi or Likasi? Asks the professor.
”Because in the international legal instruments, it is planned to locate the factories not far from the operating sites and it is to facilitate the transfer of technologies”, he says again.
However, setting up a mineral processing plant requires a lot of electrical energy.
For example, in the southern zone where the plant for the Lithium value chain could be established, there is a deficit of more than 700 MW, but it must be said that for the operation stage, Manono has a hydroelectric power station.
This, if rehabilitated, will produce 54 MW, but that will not be enough.
Reorganize Manono
Thus, for this transformation to take place on the spot, it will be necessary to reorganize many things, believes Deogracias Ilunga Yolola.
“We need a reorganization of the societal space of Manono to enable it to be ready to welcome this vast project and to derive all the necessary benefits from it”, he says. Thus, he thinks that Manono must have the necessary infrastructure.
The government must consider providing the necessary electrical energy.
”Because without electricity, all these factories will not be able to function. Manono needs a lot of water for this operation”, he explains again.
In addition, a university must be built there and it is with the aim of providing skills to local residents and the latter will then be able to participate in this exploitation.
“But also, build a good road to facilitate the evacuation of these minerals, and to receive other production inputs,” he says in conclusion.
Food for thought on the Road to Manono on a Friday my fellow SH's
Cheers
Frank
