Kobold metals wins lithium exploration rights in Dr Congo

US-based mining startup KoBold Metals, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, has been granted seven permits to explore for lithium in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials announced this week.

The permits cover a 4,500-square-kilometer area in Manono, a region already home to one of the world’s richest lithium deposits. Congo, which supplies about 70% of the world’s cobalt, is positioning itself as a key player in the global clean energy transition, with lithium critical for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage.

KoBold, which uses AI-driven exploration technology, said it will begin geological surveys immediately. The company is already developing the world’s largest cobalt-copper project at Kolwezi in southern Congo.

Lithium demand is expected to quadruple by 2035, and Congo hopes to expand beyond cobalt to become a major supplier. But campaigners warn that new mining ventures must ensure transparency, community benefits, and environmental safeguards in a country long plagued by corruption and resource-driven conflict.

Officials say the move could help Congo attract more investment and strengthen its role in the global green economy.