{"id":116719,"date":"2025-12-04T19:53:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T19:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves"},"modified":"2025-12-05T17:50:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T17:50:40","slug":"experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves","title":{"rendered":"Experts weigh in on how Rwanda can tap into lithium reserves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Rwanda holds real but still early-stage potential to become a significant player in the global electric battery-minerals market, experts have said of the country\u2019s lithium potential.<\/p>\n

Speaking on December 3, in Kigali, on a panel discussion titled \u201cLithium and Beyond: Rwanda\u2019s Critical Minerals Advantage\u201d during Rwanda Mining Week 2025, the experts observed that while the country is not yet a major supplier of lithium, its expanding geological knowledge, supportive policies, and diverse pegmatite-hosted mineral compounds offer a strong foundation for future development.<\/p>\n

The experts noted that lithium is currently one of the world\u2019s most sought-after minerals. Lithium is a key component in lithium-ion batteries, which power electric vehicles (EVs), consumer electronics, renewable energy storage systems, and grid-stabilisation technologies.<\/p>\n

Vasily Savan, an expert in exploration geophysics at Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), said that the rapid adoption of green-energy and use EV adoption policies in Europe drove up demand for lithium \u2013 driving prices to historic highs in recent years and intensifying the global race for new supply.<\/p>\n

However, he said that as major producers like Chile, Argentina, and Australia expanded lithium production in response to the demand, prices have since moderated.<\/p>\n

Building Rwanda\u2019s lithium opportunity<\/p>\n

Savan said that Rwanda is \u201cnot yet a volume supplier\u201d but is steadily building the geological maps, infrastructure, and institutional credibility needed to join global battery-metal supply chains. Rwanda\u2019s advantage, he said, lies in its pegmatites \u2013 geological formations that often host lithium alongside tin, tantalum, niobium, and sometimes beryllium \u2013 making extraction more economically attractive compared to lithium-only deposits.<\/p>\n

One of the points of discussion was the July 2025 announcement by UK-based mining company Aterian, in partnership with Rio Tinto, confirming high-grade lithium mineralisation in Southern Province. One drill hole returned 7 metres at 2.1 per cent lithium, including 3.5 metres at 3.2 per cent, notable for early-stage exploration.<\/p>\n

However, Aterian Executive Director Simon Rollason cautioned that \u201cone intersection does not make a mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

To progress toward production, companies must determine the size of the deposit, conduct metallurgical testing, assess infrastructure needs and energy requirements, and confirm economic viability, he said.<\/p>\n

Still, these results reinforce the view that Rwanda and the broader Kibara Belt could become a new lithium frontier, especially with the presence of spodumene, the preferred lithium mineral for battery refining.<\/p>\n

Rollason added that Rwanda\u2019s existing downstream capacity\u2014for example in tin, tantalum, and gold refining\u2014sends a positive signal that the country is committed to value addition, a crucial factor given the high cost of exporting raw lithium concentrates.<\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda is potentially a new lithium frontier,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Call for national critical minerals strategy<\/p>\n

Trinity Metals Chief Operating Officer Shane Ryan underscored Rwanda\u2019s lithium potential and the country’s proven strengths in the production of tantalum, tin, and tungsten (3Ts). These remain Rwanda\u2019s strongest comparative advantage and are performing well on global markets.<\/p>\n

Ryan argued that Rwanda needs a formal national critical minerals strategy, consistent with other mining jurisdictions, such as Australia.<\/p>\n

Such a strategy, he said, would give investors clarity on the country’s goals and timelines, streamline movement from exploration to mining licenses, clearly outline incentives and regulatory expectations, enable strategic value-chain development (including battery-technology opportunities), and strengthen its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and research capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a government responsibility to drive investment in industry. This industry needs investment, and we need the help to get it. So, the strategy will be a big step for that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Vasily agreed that establishing a national critical minerals strategy would be an essential step forward.<\/p>\n

Rollason pointed out that the pegmatites hosting lithium also host tin and tantalum, often already being mined by small-scale operators. This makes coordination essential, he said, observing that Rwanda should attract lithium exploration while also improving efficiency, safety, and value extraction from ongoing 3Ts operations.<\/p>\n

Strengthening investor confidence<\/p>\n

Savan explained that the mining regulator is improving investor confidence by adopting international reporting codes and modern exploration methods suited to Rwanda\u2019s geology. Since advanced drilling is expensive, private-sector capital remains essential to expand early discoveries.<\/p>\n

He underscored the need for a national strategy, noting that lithium processing is energy-intensive, requiring reliable power and long-term planning if Rwanda aims for domestic refining.<\/p>\n

Where is lithium found in Rwanda?<\/p>\n

So far, Savan said, Rwanda\u2019s most promising lithium-bearing pegmatites have been found in the Southern and Western Provinces \u2013 from Huye to Gatumba mining site (in Ngororero District), with confirmed important lithium-bearing minerals; and Eastern Province \u2013 including Musenyi (Bugesera) and areas of Ngoma, where recent RMB surveys show potential despite deeper pegmatite zones.<\/p>\n

The deposits in the west are easier to locate due to weathered mountains exposing pegmatites, while eastern deposits require more advanced exploration.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. Rwanda holds real but still early-stage potential to become a significant player in the global electric battery-minerals market, experts have said of the country\u2019s lithium potential. Speaking on December 3, in Kigali, on a panel discussion titled \u201cLithium and Beyond: Rwanda\u2019s Critical Minerals Advantage\u201d during Rwanda Mining Week 2025, the experts observed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":116718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,15],"tags":[7859,4911,496,758,8941],"class_list":["post-116719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-critical-minerals","tag-lithium","tag-mining","tag-rwanda","tag-rwanda-mining-week"],"yoast_head":"\nExperts weigh in on how Rwanda can tap into lithium reserves - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rwanda holds real but still early-stage potential to become a significant player in the global electric battery-minerals ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Experts weigh in on how Rwanda can tap into lithium reserves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rwanda holds real but still early-stage potential to become a significant player in the global electric battery-minerals ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-04T19:53:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-05T17:50:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/12\/sm_1764944188.361077.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Experts weigh in on how Rwanda can tap into lithium reserves\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-04T19:53:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-05T17:50:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves\"},\"wordCount\":802,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/12\/sm_1764944188.361077.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"critical minerals\",\"Lithium\",\"mining\",\"Rwanda\",\"Rwanda Mining Week\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Economy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/experts-weigh-in-on-how-rwanda-can-tap-into-lithium-reserves\",\"name\":\"Experts weigh in on how Rwanda can tap into lithium reserves - 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