Botswana: Environmental approval brings $140 million mining reagent plant closer to construction

Kemcore has received environmental approval for its future mining reagent complex in Palapye, Botswana, a milestone that paves the way for securing funding ahead of the planned construction launch in 2027.

The company now estimates the total project cost at approximately $140 million. Calisto Radithipa, founder and commercial director of Kemcore, stated on Wednesday, September 16, to Reuters that discussions with lenders are advanced, with a target for financial closure by December 2026.

The plant is expected to produce up to 150,000 tons per year of reagents used in the processing of copper, cobalt, and other strategic minerals. The planned product range includes sodium metabisulfite, sodium hydrosulfide, and xanthates used in flotation operations.

The complex will be located at the Leupane Energy Hub, near Palapye, with primary markets being copper and cobalt producers in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kemcore presents the project as the first integrated chemical complex for battery minerals in Southern Africa.

The site was also chosen for its proximity to several inputs. Salt and sodium carbonate are expected to come from the Botash mine, located about 300 kilometers away, while Kemcore is in discussions with Botala Energy to secure a gas supply from its coalbed methane developments in Botswana.

The project brief published by Kemcore confirms the location in Palapye and its focus on regional copper and cobalt supply chains. The company aims for local production to reduce the dependence of African mines on reagents imported from Asia and the Middle East, whose costs and delivery times can be affected by international logistical disruptions.

Kemcore is now targeting financial closure by the end of December 2026, with construction set to begin in 2027 and initial production expected in the first half of 2028.