Botswana Approves $140 Million Battery Minerals Chemicals Plant

Botswana has granted environmental clearance for a planned $140 million mining chemicals manufacturing plant by Kemcore, clearing a major regulatory hurdle as the company moves towards financing and construction.

The facility is planned as a regional supply hub for mining chemicals used by copper and cobalt producers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia. Kemcore says the project will become Southern Africa’s first integrated battery minerals chemical complex.

Kemcore is targeting financial close by December 2026, with construction expected to begin in 2027 and initial production planned for the first half of 2028.

Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 150,000 metric tons of battery-mineral reagents annually. Production will include sodium metabisulphite, sodium hydrosulphide and sodium isobutyl xanthate, with the development planned in phases.

The project will be located within Botala Energy’s planned Leupane Energy Hub and Industrial Park in central Botswana. Its location is intended to provide access to key raw materials required for manufacturing the chemicals.

Kemcore is in advanced discussions to secure gas from Botala Energy’s coal-bed methane project, while soda ash and salt are expected to be sourced from the Botash mine, located approximately 300 kilometres northeast of the planned facility.

The broader industrial hub is also being developed with plans for up to 700 MW of hybrid gas and solar power generation, potentially supporting energy-intensive industrial activity in the area.

Kemcore founder and Chief Commercial Officer Calisto Radithipa described the environmental approval as an important milestone for the project.

The company is also in advanced discussions with regional and local funders as it seeks to finance the development. The project offers investors exposure to the growing critical minerals supply chain without requiring direct investment in mining operations.

The planned plant reflects a broader push to develop mineral-related manufacturing capacity closer to Africa’s copper and cobalt production centres. By producing mining reagents within the region, Kemcore aims to strengthen the supply chain supporting battery mineral processing in Zambia and the DRC.

If the planned construction and commissioning schedule is achieved, production could begin in 2028, positioning Botswana as a new regional supplier of specialised chemicals to the battery minerals industry.