Russia's Polar Lithium project to use renewable energy - Industry and Trade Ministry
MURMANSK. Feb 13 (Interfax) - Polar Lithium LLC, a joint venture between Russian mining giant Nornickel and state corporation Rosatom to develop the Kolmozerskoye lithium deposit in Murmansk Region, plans to use renewable energy, Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Roman Chekushov said at a meeting with the region's governor.
Before meeting with the governor, Chekushov held a meeting on the development of industry in Murmansk Region that was attended by the management of Polar Lithium.
He said the implementation of the project will be influenced by the deposit's distance from major infrastructure. "They said that it's 150 km to the nearest population center and infrastructure, and [Polar Lithium] will operate on renewable energy sources, a wind farm," Chekushov said.
"In other words, technological solutions are being worked out. I'm confident that everything will work out," he said. The United States imposed sanctions against Polar Lithium in January.
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.
Rosatom and Nornickel signed an agreement in 2021 on joint projects to develop the Kolmozerskoye deposit and subsequent process the lithium raw materials. The Polar Lithium joint venture was incorporated in Moscow in July 2022.
The license issued to Polar Lithium on February 21, 2023 is valid until February 20, 2043.
The project to develop the deposit, the cost of which was estimated at 91 billion rubles as of October 2024, 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.
