KoBold Metals, a US mining firm backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has received seven permits to explore for lithium and other minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The firm confirmed the agreement on Wednesday, August 27. The deal, signed in July, allows KoBold to launch a large-scale mineral exploration programme in the country, strengthening its foothold in Africa’s resource-rich mining sector.
The agreement also positions KoBold to potentially acquire the Manono deposit, one of the world’s largest lithium reserves critical for electric vehicle batteries. While the company confirmed that the leases are centred around Manono without overlapping existing permits, the deposit remains mired in a dispute between the Congolese government and Australia’s AVZ Minerals, which has faced delays in securing a mining licence.
