from OKORO CHINEDU in Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
LAGOS, (CAJ News) – NIGERIA is positioning itself as a regional hub for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.
This follows a partnership that would immensely boost the country’s lithium mining and downstream batteries, which are pillars in the abovementioned industry.
ReElement Technologies Corporation, a provider of high performance refining capacity of rare earth and critical battery elements, has announced a partnership with United Kingdom-based Jupiter Lithium to develop Nigeria’s first large-scale lithium deposit spanning 442 square kilometers of lithium-rich terrain.
Jupiter Lithium owns Basin Mining and Range Mining.
Jupiter Lithium is focused on expanding its operations from the current contract mining to large-scale owner operations, including a spodumene concentrator facility to produce an initial 55 000 tons of 6 percent lithium spodumene concentrate annually.
The first concentrate production is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, ramping up 167 000 tons within two years.
ReElement is designing for the construction of its lithium and critical mineral refinery to refine spodumene concentrate into high-purity, battery-grade lithium carbonate and other critical minerals produced.
“We are excited to sign our first large-scale spodumene supplier partnership to be refined in the (West Africa) region,” said Mark Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of ReElement Technologies.
The partnering companies believe they can unlock the potential to be one of the largest lithium projects worldwide.
The project is also seen as key in diversifying Nigeria’s economy from oil.
Stephen Davis, Chairman of Jupiter Lithium, said, “This remarkable discovery caps two decades of work in Nigeria understanding Nigeria’s minerals endowment.”
Nigeria has adopted the Electric Vehicle Development Plan, which awaits ratification and implementation, with the aim to position the country as a leading country in EVs.
– CAJ News