MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Rosatom plans to build a lithium mine in Mali, Uranium One Group (part of the state corporation’s Sales and Trading Division) told TASS.

"Rosatom carried out large-scale geological exploration at the Bougoula deposit in Mali covering over 200 square km in two years. Our specialists drilled over a hundred boreholes and recovered more than 20 km of core. Analysis of rock samples confirmed the potential for establishing industrial-scale production of spodumene concentrate, a key raw material for the production of lithium, which is in high demand by the battery industry," head of the project Andrey Mineyev told TASS.

A feasibility study will be conducted in 2027, while the start of construction of the mining and processing facility is scheduled for 2028.

Uranium One Group increased its lithium resource base by 1.5 times to 458,000 tons of lithium carbonate by August 2026, which is sufficient for establishing spodumene concentrate production operations. Spodumene ores from LCT pegmatites, one of the primary natural sources of lithium, are the target of geological exploration in Mali, the company said.

Africa plays a significant role in the exploration and development of new spodumene deposits now, with the continent’s ancient geological structure hosting numerous granite-pegmatite systems, many of which remain relatively underexplored. Spodumene ores are currently one of the primary raw materials for the production of lithium, accounting for a significant share of its global output. The bulk of lithium goes toward the battery industry, used in electric vehicles to energy storage systems. Consequently, the discovery of new spodumene deposits is directly linked to meeting the growing global demand for lithium raw materials.