Ukraine preparing for tender to develop Dobra lithium deposit in Kirovohrad Region, this may be first project within framework of cooperation with US – Yermak
Ukraine is preparing to announce a tender to develop the Dobra lithium deposit in the Kirovohrad Region, this may be the first project within the framework of cooperation with the US.
The head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak, announced this on the Telegram channel, the Ukrainian News agency reports.
"Ukraine is preparing to announce a tender to develop the Dobra lithium deposit in the Kirovohrad Region. This may be the first project within the framework of cooperation with the US. I am glad to see that the process is underway and the results of our meetings in Washington a week ago are being transformed into concrete actions," he said.
Yermak also reported that on June 18, at the G7 in Canada, together with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko, they met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and discussed cooperation in detail.
In turn, Svyrydenko reported on Facebook that there is interest from investors in several Ukrainian deposits, one of which is the Dobra lithium deposit in the Kirovohrad Region.
"The working group will process the application for its development. If all the requirements of the law are met, at the next meeting (of the interdepartmental commission on organizing the conclusion and implementation of production sharing agreements) we will launch the procedure for announcing a competition for all interested companies. In the era of electrification and the Green Transition, such projects can reduce risks for our strategic partners and integrate Ukraine into global supply chains," she noted.
Svyrydenko added that this deposit potentially falls under the mandate of the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Fund, its development could become the first pilot project within the framework of joint investment.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, in early June, Svyrydenko informed that Ukraine and the United States, within the framework of the Reconstruction Investment Fund, are working on projects in the field of graphite, lithium, and titanium.
On the night of May 1, Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement on the creation of the Reconstruction Investment Fund to finance projects in the field of development and extraction of minerals, oil and gas, as well as investments in related infrastructure or processing (the minerals agreement).
On May 8, the Verkhovna Rada ratified this agreement. On May 23, Svyrydenko reported that Ukraine and the United States have completed all procedures for launching the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.