Russia to launch industrial lithium production in 2030

MOSCOW, March 17, 2025 – Russia plans to produce at least 60,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate in 2030, Reuters cited the country’s natural resources ministry as saying on Monday.

The move aims to reduce Russia’s dependency on imports and increase the production of high-capacity electric batteries. Demand for lithium has surged in recent years as Russian companies work on mass production of lithium batteries and electric vehicles.

“The country has traditionally imported lithium, and it is now crucial to launch facilities swiftly and increase the extraction and processing of this strategically important resource for the economy,” Reuters cited the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as saying.

The ministry said it had issued exploration licences for three major lithium deposits: Kolmozerskoye and Polmostundrovskoye in the Murmansk region in northwestern Russia, and Tastygskoye in the Tuva region, which borders Mongolia. All three deposits and their adjacent production plants are expected to become operational by 2030, the ministry said.

Kolmozerskoye, which contains one-quarter of Russia’s known lithium reserves, is operated by Polar Lithium, a joint venture between Russian metals giant Nornickel and the state-owned nuclear energy firm Rosatom. The private firm Arctic Lithium holds a licence for Polmostundrovskoye, while Elbrusmetall-Lithium, a subsidiary of the state defence and industrial conglomerate Rostech, holds a licence for Tastygskoye.

In 2023, Russia mined only 27 tonnes of lithium as a byproduct at an emerald deposit in the Ural Mountains.

Russia reported having 3.5 million tonnes of lithium oxide reserves. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated Russia’s lithium reserves at about 1 million tonnes in 2024, the world’s 14th largest.

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