DRC grants US mining company seven permits to search for lithium and other minerals

KoBold Metals, the mining company backed by US billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has received seven separate exploration permits to search for lithium and other minerals in DRC, the firm said on Wednesday. KoBold Metals, the mining company backed by US billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, had received seven permits to search for lithium and other minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it said on Wednesday. The Central-East African country signed a deal with KoBold in July, allowing the US miner to initiate a large-scale mineral exploration programme. The agreement also positioned KoBold to acquire Manono, considered one of the world's largest deposits of lithium, which is used in electric vehicle batteries.