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Saudi Ma'aden has drawn out lithium from seawater, CEO says

Saudi Arabian Mining Business Ma'aden has actually effectively drawn out lithium from seawater, although not at levels that are commercially feasible and its job stays at the pilot phase, its CEO told on Tuesday.

We are in fact producing lithium from seawater now, Robert Wilt said, without providing additional information.

Wilt, who is vice chairman of Manara Minerals, also stated that company was not taking a look at acquiring diamond company De Beers. We are not looking at De Beers at all, he said.

London-listed miner Anglo American has considered selling its less profitable companies like De Beers as it ward off BHP Group's $43 billion takeover offer.

The kingdom does not require diamonds for its downstream advancement, Wilt stated. Manara's required is commercial metals that fuel the downstream growth.

Manara Minerals is a joint venture in between Ma'aden and Saudi Arabia's $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, the general public Mutual Fund (PIF), to invest in mining assets abroad.

Ma'aden, the kingdom's flagship mining business, is 67% owned by the PIF.

The United States and China are locked in a race over getting access to lithium, a mineral key for electric vehicle batteries, laptops and mobile phones.

Saudi Arabia has signed up with the pack and wishes to utilize lithium to manufacture batteries for electrical lorries (EVs) as part of its aspirations to transform itself into an EV hub.

The kingdom's growing mining industry is an essential pillar in de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's Vision 2030 program to diversify the economy far from oil reliance.

Saudi Arabia's national oil giant Aramco is likewise trying to extract lithium from salt water in its oilfields, although Wilt states Aramco's efforts are up until now different from Ma'aden's.

We are both working parallel paths. Ma'aden on extracting lithium from seawater. Aramco from brines where lithium has higher concentration, he said.

There are continuous conversations about how we can sign up with forces, he included.

While these jobs stay in their early phases, Saudi Arabia is looking for to obtain lithium abroad, together with other crucial minerals.

We are looking overseas for interests in copper, lithium, iron ore, and nickel, said Wilt.

Manara's first major endeavor abroad was to get a 10%. stake in Brazil's $26 billion copper and nickel miner Vale Base. Metals. Through Vale, Wilt stated Manara had actually gained access to the. Brazilian miner's operations in Canada and Indonesia. Manara is. also in talks with other business to open new ventures.

We like things in East Asia through Africa, due to the fact that we are. potentially a centralized processing hub, he said, referring to. Saudi Arabia's position in the supply chain.

(source: Reuters)