Ukraine will attract at least $179 million in investments for the development of the lithium deposit “Dilyanka Dobra,” located in the Kirovohrad region. The Cabinet of Ministers made the decision, selecting the winner of the competition for development under the product sharing agreement (PSA) mechanism.
This is reported by Finway
Main Terms of the Investment Agreement
According to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, investors will allocate $12 million for new geological exploration and an international audit of reserves. The remaining $167 million will be used to organize the extraction and enrichment of lithium in case industrial reserves are confirmed.
At the initial stage of the agreement’s implementation, the state will receive financial revenues of about 13% of the total extraction volume, and later — 22%. This will become a significant source of income for Ukraine and will also stimulate the development of the critical minerals extraction industry.
Competition Winner and Strategic Partners
The winner of the competition is Dobra Lithium Holdings JV, LLC. Its shareholders include well-known international companies Techmet and The Rock Holdings, which have substantial experience in the development and extraction of strategic minerals. Techmet controls or owns dominant minority stakes in 10 assets across four continents, implementing large-scale projects for the exploration, extraction, and processing of critical minerals.
“The project will provide a boost for attracting more investors. The involvement of strategic investors from the USA and the European Union enhances international attention to Ukraine, attracts modern extraction and processing technologies, and creates additional security guarantees for our country,” the Prime Minister summarized.
It is noted that the consortium that won the competition has close ties with the administration of former US President Donald Trump. This further emphasizes the strategic interest of Western partners in the Ukrainian critical minerals market.