(Reuters) -KoBold Metals, the mining company backed by U.S. billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has received seven permits to search for lithium and other minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it said on Wednesday.
The Central African country signed a deal with KoBold in July, allowing the U.S. miner to initiate a large-scale mineral exploration programme.
The agreement also positioned KoBold to acquire Manono, considered one of the world’s largest deposits of lithium, which is used in electric vehicle batteries.
“Our exploration efforts across all seven new licenses will be focused on lithium,” a company official told Reuters.
According to data published on the country’s mining registry website, four of the permits are located in Manono territory in Tanganyika province, while three others are located in Malemba Nkulu territory in Haut-Lomami province. The licenses allow for the exploration of around a dozen minerals, including lithium, coltan, and rare earths.
The Manono lithium deposit is at the centre of a dispute between the Congolese government and Australia-based AVZ Minerals over the authorities’ failure to grant a mining permit.
(Reporting by Jessica Donati and Sonia RolleyWriting by Anait MiridzhanianEditing by David Goodman and Rod Nickel)
