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Mali launches Goulamina lithium mine project; 65% owned by Ganfeng Lithium

In December 2024, Mali launched the Goulamina lithium mine, located in the Bougouni region, marking the country’s entry as a major producer of lithium. Benchmark recently projected that Mali is set to become the second largest lithium miner in Africa this year behind Zimbabwe.

Accoding to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast, in 2025, Mali is set to account for 14% of Africa’s mined lithium—just ahead of Nigeria which is forecast to account for 12%.

The Goulamina mine is one of the largest lithium deposits in the world. With an estimated lifespan of more than 23 years, it plans to produce 500,000 tons of spodumene concentrate annually, a primary source of lithium.

Goulamina will use conventional open-pit mining methods—drilling, blasting, loading and hauling. The plant will be a conventional spodumene beneficiation plant with a processing capacity of 2Mt/y. The ore will pass through a vibrating grizzly for removing oversize lumps, while undersize will pass through a three-stage crushing unit comprising primary, secondary and tertiary crushers. The final crushed product will pass through fine ore conveyor before being forwarded to the reflux classifier. The overflow from the classifier will be directed to the mica removal screen, where coarse mica is removed.

The project is 65% owned by China-based Ganfeng Lithium; the Malian state holds 30% of the shares, and local investors the remaining 5%. This capital structure results from the new mining code adopted in August 2023, which aims to increase national participation in strategic mining projects.

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