Nornickel and Rosatom lithium JV to work with Chinese technology partner
MOSCOW. July 31 (Interfax) - Polar Lithium, a joint venture between Russia's Nornickel and Rosatom Group, has reached an agreement with Beijing-based engineering company MMC International Incorporation Ltd to cooperate on the development of the Kolmozerskoye lithium deposit in Murmansk Region, Nornickel reported on Tuesday.
The Chinese company will help Polar Lithium study the properties of the deposit's ore and develop technology to process it and produce lithium products.
MCC has the competency to design mining and processing complexes and its own technology to process ore and produce lithium products. The company has dozens of successfully implemented projects under its belt, Nornickel said.
At Kolmozerskoye, MMC will study the properties of the ore and develop technology to process it, as well as calculate the characteristics of equipment for the future processing plant and chemical metallurgical production facilities.
"The experienced Chinese partner will help to more quickly create a high-tech battery industry in Russia. Using proven technology, the Russian company will be able to move faster from the development of the deposit to full-fledged production of lithium products in response to growing demand for lithium in Russia and on the global market," Nornickel said.
Polar Lithium is systematically establishing a resource base for the creation of an integrated lithium industry in Russia, from mining the ore to manufacturing components for electric vehicles, company CEO Igor Demidov said.
The venture plans to build and launch the mine, processing plant and chemical metallurgical plant in Murmansk Region by 2030, he said.
"Our goal is to annually mine and process about 2 million tonnes of ore and produce 45,000 tonnes of carbonate and lithium hydroxide," Demidov said.
MCC has original, proven technology for processing ore and producing lithium products, a source familiar with the details of the negotiations said. The company has carried out more than 30 projects in the area of ore processing and lithium mining, including 23 projects in metallurgy. MCC has an office in Russia and experience with Russian documentation and adapting engineering.
Russian institutes lost lithium competencies in the 1990s because lithium was not mined, processed or produced in the country, the source said.
The Kolmozerskoye lithium deposit is considered to be the largest and most promising in Russia, with 18.9% of the country's reserves, or 75 million tonnes. The deposit has P1 category forecast reserves of 152,600 tonnes of lithium oxide, 1,215 tonnes of tantalum pentoxide and 1,485 tonnes of niobium pentoxide.
The project to develop the deposit calls for annually producing 45,000 tonnes of carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which are used in production of batteries, among other things. The venture is scheduled to reach design capacity by 2030.
Lithium, one of the key elements in batteries, including for electric vehicles, is not currently mined in Russia.
