PROSPECTS FOR LITHIUM ORE MINING IN UKRAINE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/dopovidi2025.05.049Keywords:
lithium, spodumene, petalite, reserves, mineral resources, Polokhivske deposit, “Dobra” prospect, Shevchenkivske prospectAbstract
The global lithium market is showing steady growth and has a favorable outlook for the coming decades. Global lithium production increased by 667 % from 2014 to 2024, from 36,000 tons in 2014 to 240,000 tons in 2024. Global lithium reserves and resources are also growing rapidly. From 2014 to 2024, lithium reserves increased by 222 %, from 13.5 million tons in 2014 to 30 million tons in 2024. Over the same period, measured and estimated reserves of lithium minerals increased by 291%, from 39.5 million tons in 2014 to 30 million tons in 2024, and from XXX tons in 2014 to 115 million tons in 2024. Battery production is the main industry using lithium today and in the foreseeable future. In 2024, 87 % of total global lithium consumption (208.8 thousand tons) was ac- counted for by these needs, which is 16 times more than in 2014. Concentrates of spodumene and petalite miner- als from crystalline rocks are the main source of high-quality lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide for battery production. Rare earth metal pegmatites are the main industrial mineral-genetic type of lithium deposits. In Ukraine, deposits of pegmatites and occurrences of petalite, spodumene, and petalite-spodumene lithium miner- alization have been explored. The Polokhiv deposit was explored and assessed according to the international standard JORC Code (2012). There are also highly promising prospects for the creation of a new industrial type — lithium deposits in rare metal pegmatites. The existing and potential lithium resource base is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the lithium industry in Ukraine. Polokhiv deposit lithium mineral resources were outlined and estimated according to the international standard JORC Code (2012) and compise 1.257 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (Mt LCE). “Dobra” prospect potential resources are 3.664 Mt LCE, the Shevchen- kivsky prospect — 0.353 Mt LCE. Totally, potential lithium mineral resources in Ukraine are estimated at 5.274 Mt LCE. The Prydniprovsky block rare metal pegmatite districts of are highly-potential targets to plan, design and carry out exploration.
Downloads
References
Bilous, O. I., Slobodian, B. I. & Parfeniuk, V. O. (2024). Ukraine’s lithium pegmatites: issues and advantages of field development. Mineral resources of Ukraine, No. 2, pp. 3-9 (in Ukrainian). https://doi.org/10.31996/ mru.2024.2.3-9
Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. The JORC Code. 2012 Edition. Retrieved from https://www.jorc.org/docs/jorc_code2012.pdf
Mineral Commodity Summaries. 2014—2024. USGS. Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national- minerals-information-center/mineral-commodity-summaries
Mining giant Rio Tinto to acquire Arcadium Lithium in $6.7 billion deal. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www. cnbc.com/2024/10/09/mining-giant-rio-tinto-to-acquire-us-lithium-producer-arcadium-in-6point7-billion- deal.html
Heichenko, M. V., Falkovych, O. L., Mienasova, A. Sh. & Liventseva, H. A. (2023). Current state’s condition of lithium ore deposits in Ukraine. Mineral. Journ., 45, No. 1, pp. 83-94 (in Ukrainian). https://doi.org/10.15407/ mineraljournal.45.01.083
Stepanyuk, L., Hrinchenko, O., Bondarenko, S., Slobodian, B., Kurylo, S. & Dovbush, T. (2018). Geochronology of lithium-bearing granitoids of Ingul megablock (Ukrainian shield). Visnyk of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Geology, No. 3(82), pp. 23-28. https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2713.82.03
Ivanov, B. N., Lysenko, V. V., Makivchuk, O. F. et al. (2000). Exocontact metasomatites of lithium granite pegmatites of the Shpolyano-Tashlytsky rare-metal ore region. Mineral resources of Ukraine, No. 4, pp. 11-13 (in Ukrainian).
Belevtsev, Ya. N. & Koval, V. B. (Eds.). (1995). Genetic types and patterns of distribution of uranium deposits in Ukraine. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka (in Russian).
Syomka, V. O., Ponomarenko, O. M., Stepanyuk, L. M., Bondarenko, S. M., Sukach, V. V., Kurylo, S. I. & Dons- kyi, M.O. (2022). Lithium ores of Stankuvatka and Polokhivka ore fields (Ukrainian shield). Mineral. Journ., 44, No. 4, pp. 102-124 (in Ukrainian). https://doi.org/10.15407/mineraljournal.44.04.102
Voznyak, D. K., Bugaenko, V. N., Galaburda, YU. A., Melnikov, V. S., Pavlishin, V. I., Bondarenko, S. N. & Semka, V. A. (2000). Peculiarities of the mineral composition and conditions of formation of rare-metal pegmatites in the western part of the Kirovograd block (the Ukrainian shield). Mineral. Journ., 22, No. 1, pp. 21-41 (in Ukrainian).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Reports of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
