The consortium of international companies TechMet and The Rock Holdings has been selected as the winner of the tender to develop the Dobra lithium deposit in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region. The partners have joined forces through Dobra Lithium Holdings JV, LLC. The decision was announced by Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko following a government meeting on January 12. She noted that the winning companies have extensive experience in the extraction of critical minerals.
TechMet holds controlling or significant minority stakes in 10 assets across four continents and has a track record of implementing complex projects in the exploration, extraction, and processing of critical minerals. According to the prime minister, the involvement of strategic investors from the United States and the European Union increases international attention to Ukraine, brings advanced extraction and processing technologies, and provides additional security assurances for the country.
The Dobra deposit project предусматриває minimum capital investments of $179 million. Of this amount, $12 million will be allocated to new geological exploration and an international audit of reserves, while $167 million will be directed toward mining and beneficiation if commercial reserves are confirmed.
The prime minister emphasized that the production-sharing agreement mechanism allows investors to extract minerals in partnership with the state, while the deposit remains the property of the Ukrainian people. The project creates unique opportunities for Ukraine to enter the high-tech and competitive global lithium market together with U.S. partners.
Earlier, The New York Times reported, citing sources, that the winning consortium includes billionaire Ronald Lauder, who is close to former U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as TechMet.
The decision on the lithium deposit comes amid a transformation in relations between Kyiv and Washington following Trump’s return to power. The United States has significantly reduced military assistance to Ukraine and shifted its focus toward investment opportunities and defense contracts. In response, Ukrainian authorities have stepped up proposals in the areas of mineral extraction and weapons production.
In spring 2025, Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement establishing a joint fund to invest in natural resource extraction projects. Under the agreement, half of the state’s revenues from the Dobra deposit are to be directed to this fund. Companies requiring additional investors are required to first offer their projects to the fund, giving priority to U.S. businesses.
Kyiv views the Dobra project as a pilot initiative under the mineral agreement with the United States and as part of a broader strategy to secure American support amid peace talks with Russia and future post-war reconstruction, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has estimated at $800 billion.
