ReElement, Jupiter Lithium partner to develop Nigerian lithium deposit
ReElement Technologies Corporation and UK-based Jupiter Lithium Ltd have inked a partnership to develop Nigeria’s first large-scale lithium deposit.
This deposit spans 442 km² of high-quality, lithium-rich terrain and is expected to transform Nigeria into a regional hub for lithium mining and downstream battery and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. The Jupiter Critical Minerals Project aims to establish a robust local industry with significant production capacity.
Jupiter Lithium is transitioning from contract mining to large-scale owner operations, including the construction of a spodumene concentrator facility. This facility will initially produce 55,000 tonnes of 6% lithium spodumene concentrate annually, with plans to ramp up production to 167,000 tonnes within two years.
Scope of partnership
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), ReElement Technologies will design and construct a lithium and critical mineral refinery to refine the spodumene concentrate into high-purity, battery-grade lithium carbonate and other critical minerals.
Mark Jensen, CEO of ReElement Technologies, emphasized the partnership’s significance for advancing manufacturing in the region. He highlighted the environmentally safer, cost-efficient technology that can be deployed globally, maximizing the value of natural resources and fostering job creation through industrialization. Jensen praised the Jupiter team and project, noting its potential to become one of the largest and most cost-effective lithium projects worldwide.
Stephen Davis, Chairman of Jupiter Lithium Ltd, remarked on the discovery’s importance, which is the result of two decades of work in Nigeria. He noted that the scale of the Jupiter lithium discovery could catalyze Nigeria’s transition from reliance on oil and gas to clean energy. Davis also emphasized the economic opportunities that downstream processing of ore to concentrate and carbonate within the region would bring to Nigeria’s energy and mining sector.
