The Malian Minister of Energy, Mines and Water, Lamine Seydou Traoré, launched on June 3, 2022 the construction work of the Goulamina Lithium Project in the Bougouni region. The project is estimated at 250 million USD, a sum which should allow the company Leo lithium to build a mine and a factory over a period of two years.
The joint venture formed by Australia’s Firefinch and China’s Ganfeng Lithium to pilot Mali’s Goulamina lithium project estimates that around USD 100 million of this sum will be spent in Mali and that, with Malian companies for concrete, manufacturing and l installation of equipment, construction of buildings and start-up of the mine.
“The Goulamina lithium project is a world-class project, the construction of which will span two years, and the operation phase over a minimum of 21 years. The mineral resources of the project are 109 million tons, at the rate of 1.45% of Lithium Oxide (L120). Intensive drilling is underway to define the mineral resources and convert them into reserves. This would in particular make it possible to extend the service life beyond 21 years of operation. During its phase 1 production, Goulamina will be among the world’s top 7 lithium producers. During phase 2, 18 months later, Goulamina will be among the world’s top 3 producers of spodumene concentrate. The final product, which will be generated at the Goulamina site, will be of high quality with a Lithium Oxide (Li20) content of 6% and few impurities. It will then be transported to China, for the conversion phase by Ganfeng, into battery-grade lithium hydroxide,” Lamine Seydou Traoré hinted at the launch of the project.
In turn, the general manager of the company Leo Lithium explained that “this is a fantastic project which will be ranked in the world’s top 5 spodumene production mines, and will be the largest outside the ‘Australia’.