US approves huge lithium mine to produce EV batteries for 370,000 cars annually
The project will quadruple US lithium output and is expected to be operationalized by 2028.
Ioneer, a company focused on lithium mineral production, received its federal permit to develop the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project from the Bureau of Land Management on October 24.
Rhyolite Ridge will boost the US’s critical mineral production and support investment in Esmeralda County, Nevada, aiming for construction in 2025 and first production in 2028.
The project will supply the batteries for more than 370,000 American-made electric vehicles annually and process crucial battery materials on-site in the United States.
The Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project is a large-scale, greenfield open-pit project.
The project is expected to generate an average of 22,340 tonnes (t) of lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) during the first three years.
Following that, it will produce 21,951 tonnes of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) for the remainder of the mine’s life. Additionally, the project will yield 174,378 tonnes per year of boric acid (H₃BO₃) throughout its lifespan.
The total mine life is expected to be 26 years.
“For more than six years, we have worked closely with state, federal and tribal governments, as well as the Fish Lake Valley community, to ensure the sound and sustainable development of our Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project. We value our relationships with these stakeholders and appreciate their openness to engage, discuss concerns and develop solutions. Without that open and honest dialogue, such an outcome could never have been possible,” said Ioneer Managing Director Bernard Rowe.
“This permit gives us a license to commence construction in 2025 and begin our work in creating hundreds of good-paying rural jobs, generating millions in tax revenue for Esmeralda County, and bolstering the domestic production of critical minerals.”
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Ioneer’s core mission is to develop a U.S. based source of lithium and boron that can be extracted in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, providing two materials that are essential to achieve a sustainable future for our planet.
What we believe
From Wikipedia:
ioneer, Ltd. was listed on ASX in 2007 under the name Global Geoscience Limited
An option over Rhyolite Ridge was acquired in June 2016 and the purchase of a 100% interest in the project was completed in July 2017.
In 2017, Global Geoscience secured ownership of the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project
In 2018, the company changed its name from Global Geoscience to ioneer, which is a combination of the words “ion” and “pioneer.” The new name reflects the company’s new focus and commitment to becoming an important producer of the materials necessary for a sustainable future.
In April 2020, ioneer announced the results of a Definitive Feasibility Study validating the robust economics and viability of Rhyolite Ridge
On November 18, 2020, ioneer became a founding member of the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) in the US