Atlantic Lithium concerned about delays in ratifying mining lease

Atlantic Lithium, an Australian mining company developing Ghana’s first lithium mine, has expressed concern about  the delay in the ratification of its mining lease by Parliament saying the development is severely impacting its operational timelines and overall production goals. 

The Finance Director of Atlantic Lithium Amanda Harsas, said while the company continues to make progress with key permitting steps, the pace has slowed, fearing that the turn of events could affect the speed of getting the project into production gear.

“The delay has affected our timeline. Rather than accelerating and getting into production as quickly as we can, we’ve had to be more careful due to the uncertainty.

Our exploration and other activities have slowed down and it will take us a long time to get into production. We’ve constantly reviewed our deadlines with the information we get,” she said.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 4th West Africa Mining Security (WAMS) Conference in Accra, she expressed concern over the delay in the approval of its mining agreement with government.

The conference was organised by the Australian High Commission in partnership with Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group (AAMEG) and MA-Risk Limited.

“We have had the mining lease for nearly 12 months now, but we are still awaiting ratification from Parliament. It’s been disappointing that the ratification has taken this long. Unfortunately, we’ve had to make cuts to our staff because of the delay.
This delay is going to affect our timelines, the benefits for Ghana, and for the Central Region.Parliament is resuming on October 15, so we are hoping that it will get ratified so we get on with the project,” she said.

Investment

The Australian High Commissioner, Berenice Owen-Jones, commended the Australian mining companies for their investments in supporting local jobs and local communities in West Africa.

“We also appreciate that West Africa is home to some of the most challenging operating environments in the world for mining companies.
Africa is now recognised as the most active theatre for violent extremism. Across the Sahel and other West African countries, expanding terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State undermine the prospects for new investment and threaten the lives of both foreign and local workers in the resource sector,” she said.

To address the threat, she said the Australian government has invested over $10 million in counter-terrorism as well as preventing and countering violent extremism programmes in Africa.

Relevance 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MS Risk, Liam Morrissey, in his address, commended the Australian authorities for delivering WAMS again in 2024.

For his part, the CEO of the Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group (AAMEG), Roger Staley said, as security challenges in West Africa grow increasingly complex, it was vital for mineral resource companies in the region to remain informed, prepared and adaptable.