Lycopodium says it expects to complete about US$15 million worth of engineering and procurement, and project management work at the Leo Lithium and Ganfeng-owned $255 million Goulamina lithium project in Mali over the next 18-24 months.
Operator of the 50-50 Goulamina joint venture, Leo, expects to be producing spodumene concentrate in 2024.
Lycopodium’s EP and PM services contract at Goulamina follows its earlier delivery of the project definitive feasibility study in 2019. It said engineering and design and procurement and contracting activities had progressed throughout 2022, including the procurement of long-lead items.
Lycopodium managing director Peter De Leo said the company was happy to be continuing work on West Africa’s first lithium mine.
“This award further strengthens our position as a leading partner in the design and delivery of battery metals projects,” he said.
Goulamina, in the Bougouni region of southern Mali, has a current mineral resource of 108 million tonnes grading 1.45% lithium oxide, and ore reserve of 52Mt at 1.51% Li2O.
Ganfeng, one of the world’s largest lithium chemical producers, has provided $170 million of project equity and debt funding. It is also building a 50,000tpa lithium hydroxide capacity 50,000tpa (lithium carbonate equivalent) plant in Jiangxi province in China.
The initial 2.3 million tonnes per annum Goulamina hard-rock mine and plant is designed to produce 506,000tpa of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate.
