The Malian authorities have asked the Russian authorities to help develop local lithium deposits.
"The government has given an order that strategic raw materials be developed for the needs of the state. We turned to Russia for the development of lithium. Our goal is to start joint production and processing of this important raw material," Na said Russian Energy Week Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic Alusseni Sanu, corporate telegram channel "Country of Rosatom".
The representative of Mali explained that within 7-8 years, the country's authorities plan to reach a production level that will allow the production of electric batteries.
Lithium mining in Mali is already underway. For example, in May, the government of the country signed a contract with the Chinese Gulyamina for the Gulyamina mine, which is the largest lithium deposit in the country. Previously, the mine was controlled by the Australian Leo Lithium.
The Ministry of Mining Industry of Mali reported in July that it approved the transfer of permission for lithium mining at the Bougoula deposit from the Malian mining company Moketi Mining SARL to a subsidiary of Rosatom.
The project may be interested in and Russia, as it is an importer of it. According to the Accounts Chamber, in 2018-2020, Russia's needs for manganese, chromium, titanium and lithium were fully met by imports, and for zirconium purchases abroad amounted to 87.2%. At the same time, Russia received 71% of lithium from Chile.
Earlier this year, Uranium One Group, which is owned by Rosatom, won the tender for the development of the Pastos Grandes salar (salt marsh) and investments in the lithium mining project are estimated at $ 600 million. In addition, the state corporation announced that by the second half of 2025 it will build the world's largest lithium-bearing salar (salt marsh) on the territory Uyuni is a plant for the production of lithium carbonate.