Company with Techmet, The Rock Holdings shareholders wins competition for Dobra lithium site – PM

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved Dobra Lithium Holdings JV as the winner of a tender to develop the Dobra lithium deposit in Kirovohrad region under a production-sharing agreement (PSA), Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. The company’s shareholders include internationally known firms TechMet and The Rock Holdings.

"They have significant experience in the extraction of critical minerals. TechMet holds controlling or dominant minority stakes in 10 assets across four continents and has experience implementing complex projects involving the exploration, extraction and processing of critical minerals," Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram following a government meeting on Monday.

She noted that this is the first time Ukraine has selected a winner for the development of a non-oil-and-gas deposit under a production-sharing agreement. Under the tender terms, the minimum level of capital investment is set at $179 million, including $12 million for new geological exploration and an international audit of reserves, and $167 million for organizing extraction and beneficiation if the deposit’s commercial reserves are confirmed.

According to the prime minister, the project will help spur further investment interest.

"The Dobra site is only the first step in an ambitious plan to integrate Ukraine into the supply chains of our strategic partners. Work in this direction is continuing. The production-sharing agreement mechanism allows investors to extract minerals within a partnership with the state, while the deposit remains the property of the people of Ukraine," Svyrydenko said.

As reported, Andriy Yermak said in mid-June 2025, when he was head of the Presidential Office, that development of the Dobra lithium deposit could become the first pilot project within cooperation with the United States.

As for mining investment company TechMet, one of whose largest investors is the U.S. government through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, it said as early as July 2025 that it was interested in taking part in the tender and, if successful, building processing facilities with investments exceeding $500 million. In September, a DFC delegation visited Kirovohrad region accompanied by senior officials from Ukraine’s Economy Ministry.