The Ivorian mineral extraction sector smells a new opportunity in the air — Malian mineral deposits.

While the rest of the country sleeps, work continues in the Autonomous Port of Abidjan, the first gateway to Côte d’Ivoire, where storage and export capacity are in the process of being increased and improved. Today, the objective is to increase simultaneous storage from 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes within the next nine months in order to export more than 3mt of ore per year.

Beyond bauxite, nickel, manganese, and clinker, operators are counting on mining production from neighbouring countries, primarily Mali’s lithium mines. As such, tens of millions of euros have been invested in the ore terminal to increase competitiveness on a global scale. This is accentuated by the construction of a barge system capable of loading ships in waters 14 metres deep. It can hold around 100,000 tonnes, twice as much as a quay load.

Sea Invest benefits from the support of the Ivorian government, which has encouraged the development of its port platform so as to constitute a hub able to serve its neighbours beyond the coastal region.

Convinced: Redstone Resources and Leo Lithium

To ensure optimal functionality, Abidjan relies on the continued development of transit infrastructure. This allows those in Abidjan to reach Bamako in less than 24 hours, an asset against competition from Dakar in Senegal or Tema in Ghana.

The Autonomous Port of Abidjan, which has lost Perkoa’s zinc concentrate since the closure of the Burkinabé mine, is beginning to show strong ambition and, seeking new operators, Hien Sié, the port’s general manager, tells us.

Abidjan’s first shipments are expected by the end of 2023, with its proven mineral resources of 108mt making Goulamina a world-class mine

Some new operators have made themselves known – Australian-based Redstone Resources, beginning its iron ore transit process in May 2022, and compatriot company Leo Lithium, currently listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange. The latter, according to an agreed 10-year contract with Sea Invest dated last November, will oversee the handling and storage of lithium ores from its Goulamina project, located 150 km from Bamako.

Operators are counting on an annual production of 436,000 tonnes, potentially rising to 800,000 tonnes, at this mine, whose lifespan is estimated at 20 years.

Despite the transition of power in Malian politics and security issues brought on by the increased jihadist threat, the mining show has continued, even in the face of the suspension of mining permit issuance by the new transitional authorities. With world-leading Chinese partner Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium providing $194m in financing, Leo Lithium has already begun construction of its on-site processing plant.

Abidjan’s first shipments are expected by the end of 2023, with its proven mineral resources of 108mt making Goulamina a world-class mine. Leo Lithium will thus become the leading lithium exporter in West Africa, pending the arrival of British competitor Kodal Minerals at Bougouni, further north.

According to sources, Kodal Minerals, which passed through Dakar to export 600 tonnes of samples to be analysed at the Shengli plant in Yishui, China, has not yet made its decision on its home port. Upon the installation of its 330,000-tonne processing plant specialising in spodumene concentrate, a more clear evaluation of the Dakar and Abidjan sites will be forthcoming.

In the meantime, another Australian player, Atlantic Lithium, has opted for Tema for the export of products obtained from its mine in Ewoyaa, in the Cape Coast region of Southern Ghana, not far from Abidjan.