A minerals consultant, Francis Owusu-Akyaw has called on local entrepreneurs to take advantage of Lithium mining that is about to begin in the country and invest in the industry.
This he, said, will ensure that Ghanaian businessmen benefit from the value chain of the Lithium industry that will be created.
He made this known in an interview on Good Morning Boss 93.7fm, hosted by Wofa Kofi Appiah. His comments follows the granting of 15 years mining lease to Barari DV Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Limited, to start mining operation of the mineral at Ewoyaa in the Mfantsiman Municipality of Central region. The lease follows the completion of prospecting and feasibility studies as well as a series of negotiations between government and the company.
Francis Owusu-Akyaw commended the minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor and the government as a whole for the increased royalties rate to 10% from the previous 5% and carried interest of 13%, as well as the state and Ghanaian participation and value addition.
He opined that in the era where the world’s automobile industry is shifting from the use of fossil fuel vehicles to electric ones, Ghana stands to benefit immensely from the Lithium mining industry as the mineral is large used for the production of car batteries. By the year 2030, most of the western world will no longer manufacture fossil fuel vehicles, hence the demand for car batteries will be higher, positioning Ghana which has Lithium deposits in commercial quantities at an advantage to benefit from it.
He further revealed that Lithium by-products are also used in the production of glass as well as solar panels, giving the country the opportunity to benefit considerably from the value chain that will be created.
He further revealed that the country is emdowed with a lot of other mineral deposits that remain untapped, awaiting a period that the high demand for such minerals will come to the fore.
