Русский
Russia’s Rosatom are making a feasibility study for the proposed Bugula lithium production project in Mali commencing in 2027, which if satisfactory will see the start of construction of the mining and processing plant (MPP) scheduled for 2028, the company has stated. Rosatom also expects to attract investors from friendly countries.
Rosatom have already conducted large-scale geological exploration over the past two years. The results obtained confirm the potential for organizing industrial production of spodumene concentrate – a key raw material in lithium production. Lithium carbonate reserves at the deposit are estimated at 458,000 tonnes, the company has said.
Russia and Mali signed an agreement on nuclear energy in 2025. Prior to that, in 2024, Mali had plans to begin lithium extraction and processing with Russia. Lithium is a major fuel source for NPP, with Mali keen to develop several small modular reactors to both satisfy its domestic energy demand and potentially develop an electricity export market to neighbouring countries.
