Emerging lithium-boron producer Ioneer has received the final permit approval for its Rhyolite Ridge project from the US Bureau of Land Management.
Having received the formal approval, Ioneer expects to issue updated reserve figures and estimated project costs by December 2024 and advance toward a final investment decision with its financing partners in the first quarter of 2025.
The project in Esmeralda County, Nevada is scheduled to start construction in 2025 and first production in 2028. Its goal is to supply batteries for more than 370,000 US-manufactured EVs annually and process battery materials on-site.
Around 70% of engineering is complete for the processing facility, for which the company will evaluate and deploy new technologies to reduce water consumption. Ioneer will limit its operational footprint by avoiding the use of evaporation ponds and limit its carbon footprint as the steam-powered facility will operate independently from the Nevada energy grid.
The formal Record of Decision (ROD) follows the issuance last month of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)1 by the BLM, which incorporated public feedback received during the April-June open comment period and concludes the formal federal permitting process, which began in early 2020.
“This permit gives us a license to commence construction in 2025 and begin our work in bolstering the domestic production of critical minerals,” said Ioneer Managing Director Bernard Rowe.
Source: Ioneer
