According to the Mining Network, global lithium mining company Kodal Minerals announced on Wednesday that its lithium mine project in Bougouni, southern Mali, has made a key progress - open-pit mining operations and the first heavy media separation (DMS) processing plant are operating efficiently. At the same time, the company is closely collaborating with the Malian government to accelerate the approval process for export licenses, aiming to enable the "second-largest lithium mine in Mali" to start exporting products as soon as possible. The Bougouni lithium mine project is operated by the local mining company "Mali Bougouni Lithium Company (LMLB)", and Kodal holds a 49% stake in it. As the second operational lithium mine in Mali (the first being the Goulamina project invested by Chinese company Ganfeng Lithium, which started lithium oxide production in December 2024), the progress of the Bougouni project has attracted much industry attention. In its latest report, Kodal disclosed that the DMS processing plant is currently continuously processing pegmatite ore, with production capacity steadily increasing, and the lithium oxide concentrate output has exceeded 45,000 tons. The product is urgently awaiting export. Open-pit mining operations are continuing at the Ngoualana mine site. However, due to typical heavy rainfall during the rainy season, the lower area of the mine is temporarily restricted from mining due to water accumulation. Currently, the mining team is maintaining operations by clearing free mining materials and advancing to the final mine boundary. Additionally, a large amount of ore containing minerals has been stacked in the raw ore storage area, ensuring the continuous operation of the DMS processing plant. To ensure long-term stable operation, the LMLB operation team plans to start a shutdown maintenance period in late August to conduct a comprehensive and systematic inspection of the processing plant and complete equipment upgrades and improvements.
At the same time, the project team is simultaneously advancing the preparations for the first shipment of exports, including close coordination with Abidjan Port in Côte d'Ivoire and San Pedro Port to ensure smooth cargo handling and logistics transportation. Last week, Mali's mining minister Amadou Keta and Bougouni regional governor General Osman Wale inspected the Bougouni project. Kodal stated that this inspection received "positive feedback" - the project team focused on showing the two officials the huge amount of lithium oxide concentrate already stored (if not exported in time, storage space will face pressure), and emphasized the importance of "accelerating exports" for the project's cash flow and operational efficiency. The Malian government representative clearly stated that they will accelerate the approval process for export licenses. Kodal's CEO Bernard Elward emphasized at the press conference: "We are very pleased to see that the LMLB team is closely collaborating with the Malian government to improve the requirements for export licenses. Once the licenses are approved, the large amount of stored lithium oxide concentrate will immediately be shipped to major markets such as China." He also disclosed that during the government's inspection, the project team detailed the "storage pressure" and "export urgency", and the Malian delegation fully understood and will follow up on the implementation. Analysis indicates that with the commissioning of the Bougouni lithium mine, Mali is expected to become one of the core hubs of the African lithium industry chain, leveraging its abundant lithium resources (with proven reserves exceeding 1 million tons) and complete mining policies. And the collaboration model between Kodal and the Malian government (local holding company operation, international capital participation) provides a replicable sample for resource-rich African countries' "resource localization" policies. Currently, Kodal has not announced the specific timetable for the first shipment of exports, but the company stated that it is "progressing various preparations on a weekly basis". With the final implementation of the export license, the Bougouni lithium mine may become a new supply highlight in the global lithium market in the second half of 2025.
