The 10 communities in the catchment areas of Atlantic Lithium will be impacted positively with the approach of its operations, the general manager of operations for Atlantic Lithium Ahmed-Salim Adam has said.
The Australia-based Atlantic Lithium on Thursday (19 October) secured a 15- year mining lease from the government of Ghana after meeting all the necessary requirements.
There has been concerns about the deplorable state in which most communities are left after mining despite the extraction of minerals from those communities over the years.
But Adam says the company will roll out measures that will ensure that residents in the host communities are empowered with the requisite skills training to contribute to the company’s operation thereby creating jobs in the communities.
Speaking in an interview with Ghextractives after his appointment, Adam said: “In Atlantic we have already committed that we will give them skills to ensure that the jobs stay within the communities.”
“Beyond that, you will realise that we have a very unique agreement with the government in terms of fiscal regime. It has never been done, we have got the highest government in our business, highest royalty stake, than any other company, I think the highest ever in the history of mining in Ghana.”
“We have got a 1% community development allocation on revenue, that is significant and that really positions us to ensure the community benefit, first and foremost,” Adam added.
Unique approach
Adam says Atlantic Lithium has already demonstrated its commitment to prioritising the welfare of host communities since it started exploration, adding that the firm’s unique approach in project development will enhance that.
“And so we have a very unique approach in our project development, where in the very early stage we are bringing a modular plant that will allow us to train people, to test our concept and bring them on board when the main plant comes in, and that is a unique approach I have not seen any mine adopt. It’s underpinned by the belief of Atlantic Lithium to a sustainable approach to bringing the youth on board.
“There are lessons that we have learnt from previous projects of other companies, and we have taken those on board.
“We have already demonstrated direct engagement with the local communities, prioritising employment of people from the local communities, country manager and exploration manager have done a great job to ensure throughout the exploration we had locals within the communities,” he said.
About Ewoyaa project
The Company’s flagship project, the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, set to be Ghana’s first lithium-producing mine, is being advanced to production under an agreement with Piedmont Lithium.
The project is well located to excellent infrastructure and is proven to produce a spodumene concentrate product suitable for conversion to be used in EV batteries.
In June 2023, the company announced its Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) for the Ewoyaa Project, confirming the Project’s economic viability and profitability potential for the production of 3.6Mt spodumene concentrate over a 12-year Life of Mine (“LOM”).
The DFS incorporates the Project’s 35.3Mt @ 1.25 Li₂O Mineral Resource Estimate and Ore Reserves of 25.6Mt @ 1.22% Li₂O and considers conservative LOM concentrate pricing of US$1,587/t, FOB Ghana Port.
In October 2023, Atlantic Lithium was granted a Mining Lease for the Project, representing a major landmark for Ghana and the Company and paving the way for Ewoyaa to become one of the next major spodumene concentrate producers.
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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