On 10 May, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Critical Minerals hosted a reception at the House of Lords for His Excellency (HE) the President of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and his esteemed delegation.
The event was well attended by Zambian ministers and members of the UK’s critical mineral industry, who enjoyed an evening of food, drinks, and networking in the beautiful and historic Atlee Room.
The reception commenced with a welcome from the Rt Hon Baroness Northover, the Vice Chair of the APPG for Critical Minerals. Attendees enjoyed speeches from HE the President Hichilema, who detailed his vision for the future of Zambian business and economic growth. The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm for President Hichilema’s vision and looks forward to strengthening collaboration between the UK and Zambia on critical minerals.
The speeches were concluded by co-founder of the Critical Minerals Association, Jeff Townsend, who expressed his thanks to everyone for attending, particularly HE the President Hichilema and his esteemed delegation of ministers.
The Critical Minerals Association (UK) was delighted to be part of a wonderful evening that contributed to UK-Zambia collaboration on critical minerals. Zambia is home to some of the highest-grade deposits of copper in the world, and is the seventh-largest producer of copper. As a highly efficient conduit, copper is used in various renewable energy systems to generate power from solar, hydro, thermal, and wind energy. It is among the most valuable metals needed to ensure the transition to net zero. Zambia is also home to small deposits of cobalt, nickel, and manganese— all critical minerals that are needed to manufacture our modern and renewable technologies.
Critical minerals are vital to the functioning of a healthy economy; they are materials needed to build everything from computers to batteries, wind turbines to solar panels. But their supply is limited and vulnerable due to the volatility of their markets, as well as many critical mineral supply chains being monopolised by China.
To reach Net Zero, the UK must work with countries across the globe, such as Zambia, to secure critical minerals and a future of clean energy by diversifying supply, investing in projects across the value chain (from mining to recycling), and sharing technology and expertise. Partnering on critical minerals would benefit both nations in building alternative and responsible critical minerals supply chains—Zambia as a mining jurisdiction and world-leading producer of copper, and the UK as a world-class provider of ESG, finance, and freeports.
Thank you to the event’s sponsors, Tertiary Minerals and Moxico Resources, for supporting this event. A bit about our sponsors:
Tertiary Minerals
Teritary Minerals plc is an AIM-traded company exploring primarily for copper, a key critical mineral in the transition to net zero and sustainable energy production. The Company’s principal activities are the identification, acquisition, and exploration of projects prospective for copper and precious metals in Zambia and Nevada, USA-- both stable, democratic, and mining-friendly jurisdictions.
In 2023, the Company’s main activities are in Zambia working through its 96% owned Zambian registered company, Tertiary Minerals (Zambia) Limited, on 5 projects held by their local partner Mwashia Resources Limited.
The Company has recently acquired substantial data and technical expertise for its Mukai and Mushima North projects in Zambia through a Technical Cooperation and Data Sharing Agreement with First Quantum Minerals, a major copper producer in Zambia and around the world. Significant exploration programmes are planned for both projects in 2023. Tertiary completed its first drill programme in Zambia in 2022 at the Jacks Project, intersecting significant copper mineralisation and follow up drilling is planned in 2023.
Moxico Resources
Moxico Resources plc is a UK unlisted public company focusing on base and precious metals projects in southern Africa and the Middle East. Its flagship asset, the Mimbula Copper Project in the Copperbelt Province in Zambia, is an independent copper development with a copper JORC measured, indicated and inferred resource of 84.2 million tonnes at 1.06% Total Copper grade (0.5% cut-off).
Moxico’s prospective project pipeline contains 7 additional exploration concessions in Zambia, as well as the Khnaiguiyah exploration licence in Saudi Arabi, which was awarded to Moxico and its Saudi joint venture partner, Ajlan & Bros, to develop a zinc and copper mine.
Article by Eileen Maes, Public Affairs & Communications Associate