Aterian PLC, a UK based mining company, has acquired additional licenses to explore for lithium within Botswana's Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, one of the largest areas of potential lithium brine extraction outside of South America.
Aterian acquired a 90pc interest in Atlantis Metals, closing out a deal which gives Aterian rights to three licences covering a combined 2,516.93 square kilometres within the salt pans in Northern Botswana. The deal also grants Aterian six new copper-silver prospecting licences, totalling 970.08 square kilometres, in the Kalahari Copperbelt, which stretches from Northern Botswana to Eastern Namibia.
Aterian already holds licenses for a lithium mine in Rwanda, and has partnered with global mining giant Rio Tinto to explore in the area.
"Our strategy is to responsibly explore and develop critical minerals and metals across Africa, a region vital for a successful energy transition," said Charles Bray, Executive Director at Aterian PLC, "Completing this acquisition and portfolio expansion further expands our presence on the continent. It perfectly fits our strategy of focusing on critical metals, copper and lithium, in stable and business-friendly jurisdictions."
Previous testing Botswana's large salt pan region has yielded lithium concentrations of 103, 117 and 223 mg/l Li, higher in concentration than some already operating Chinese brine and lepidolite projects, but lower in comparison to projects in Argentina and Chile, considered the highest concentrations of lithium in the world. The Salar de Cauchari project, for reference, owned by Ganfeng lithium and Lithium Americas, has a grade of 590mg/l lithium content.
Testing will continue at the sites, which have so far been relatively unexplored in comparison to other continents' lithium deposits. Recent technological development in the lithium industry, such as Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) also make lower grade lithium deposits more accessible for miners.
"The Makgadikgadi Pans of the Kalahari Desert offer tremendous lithium potential. The Pan is the lowest elevation within a geological basin and so water naturally dissolves minerals, forming a brine that gathers in the pan," Charles Bray told Argus.
He went on to say finding lithium in sufficient quantities would be challenging, especially over such a large area and there would be "a lot of work" needed to quantify lithium concentrations in the licensed areas.
"Ultimately we believe that this area offers Aterian plc and other exploration companies similar potential to the Latin American lithium brine formations," he said.
