Mohammad Hadi Ahmadi, the deputy head of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade’s local branch in western Hamedan province, said on Sunday that production from two lithium ore deposits in the region whose discovery were announced last week will begin by 2025.
The discovery of Iran’s first lithium ore deposits was reported on February 27. The ministry’s exploration department said at the time that the deposits in Hamedan contain some 8.5 million metric tons of lithium ore, making the pair one of the largest in the world.
Ahmadi went on to say that the two deposits cover an area of around 11 square kilometers in Qahavand Plain, located more than 50 kilometers to the east of the provincial capital of Hamedan.
He said the discovery of the deposits had taken nearly four years, adding that the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade is currently studying technological capacities existing in two developed countries as part of efforts to start up the mines through a partnership with private investors.
The ministry’s authorities expect more lithium ore deposits could be discovered in Hamedan, a province with vast deposits of clay which is a source of lithium.
Demand for lithium has risen in the global markets in recent years as the metal is a key ingredient in manufacturing batteries used in mobile phones and electric cars