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Pilbara Minerals and Ganfeng partner for 32ktpa lithium conversion plant Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) and Ganfeng have signed a binding term sheet to complete a joint feasibility study on a downstream lithium conversion plant. The feasibility study will consider a conversion plant that could produce around 32ktpa lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) of lithium chemicals along with a potential intermediate lithium chemical product. It will consider the operating costs, capital costs, fiscal incentives and overall economics of a potential lithium chemicals plant together with assessment of other factors including ESG, permitting timeline and supply chain logistics. Pilbara Minerals managing director and chief executive Dale Henderson commented...

Lithium Australia signs exclusive battery recycling agreement with Hyundai Envirostream Australia, a subsidiary of Lithium Australia (ASX: LIT), has signed an exclusive three-year recycling agreement with Hyundai Glovis. Part of the Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Glovis is a leading logistics provider which operates a distribution network for finished vehicles. During the initial three-year term, Envirostream will be the exclusive provider of provider of battery recycling services for all of Hyundai Glovis’ batteries in Australia. This agreement highlights Envirostream’s focus on accelerating growth in the collection of large format lithium-ion batteries. The total tonnage of energy storage systems (ESS) and electric vehicle (EV) batteries sold is projected to...

Thunderbird maiden bulk shipment departs Broome Sheffield Resources’ (ASX: SFX) Kimberley Mineral Sands has completed its maiden bulk shipment of non-magnetic zircon concentrate from its Thunderbird mineral sands mine in WA. The shipment included 10,000t of non-magnetic zircon concentrate plus an additional 1100t of bagged non-magnetic zircon concentrate has departed the Port of Broome and will be delivered to an existing offtake customer. Additional bulk shipments of non-magnetic zircon and magnetic ilmenite concentrate and paramagnetic products are scheduled over the coming weeks as production at Thunderbird ramps up towards nameplate capacity. Sheffield executive chair Bruce Griffin commented on the milestone. “We are extremely pleased...

More than 5,500 jobs as Queensland fast-tracks 2 Townsville-Mount Isa projects The Queensland Government has declared two major projects in the Townsville-Mount Isa Corridor, both with the potential for more than 5,500 jobs, as “prescribed projects”, allowing the State’s Coordinator-General to fast-track them with local governments and regulators. Project Green Poly will create one of Australia’s first integrated mine-to-manufacturing polysilicon supply chains, with the $7.8b investment expected to create 4,400 jobs around Townsville during construction and operation of a facility that will run for 30 years or more. The Eva copper mine project near Mt Isa and Cloncurry will add a new stream of copper mining and smelting, boosting local supply for solar, wind and battery energy manufacturing. The mine...

Significant nickel anomaly defined at Mt Sholl A significant nickel anomaly has been defined at Raiden Resources’ (ASX: RDN) Mt Sholl project in the Pilbara region of WA. First Quantum Minerals carried out an infill soil sampling program over the northern parts of Mt Sholl where previous work defined broad nickel in soil anomalism. Raiden and First Quantum has a memorandum of understanding, with First Quantum sole funding all the base metal related activities at Mt Sholl. This sampling defined a very high-grade nickel in soil anomaly that extends over several kilometres along a west-northwest trending corridor. A peak value of 1770ppm nickel was encountered with multiple...

Fortescue’s electric excavator reaches 1mt milestone Fortescue’s (ASX: FMG) recently deployed electric excavator has moved 1mt of material since it became operational three months ago. In December 2023, the excavator was deployed at Fortescue’s Cloudbreak mine in WA and since then, it has been running at partial capacity while the site team familiarised themselves with the new machine. Now operating at full speed, its performance continues to steadily improve with the excavator performing better than its diesel equivalent, at times. The site team will now focus on ensuring a consistent performance. Fortescue chief executive Dino Otranto says this is an exciting milestone for the company. “This is such an exciting...

Develop edges closer to production restart at Woodlawn Develop (ASX: DVP) has taken a key step towards securing project funding and production restart at its Woodlawn mine in NSW. After acquiring Woodlawn in mid-2022, Develop begun an aggressive exploration and infill drilling program to extend the mineralised lenses at depth and along strike, convert the inferred resources to indicated and drill test electromagnetic conductors. This work resulted in the addition of 4mt of resources, including a further 60,000t of copper and 235kt of zinc metal. Woodlawn now has a mineral resource estimate of 11.3mt at 1.8% copper, 5.8% zinc, 2.1%...

Newly-listed Litchfield Minerals well underway with Silver King drilling prep   Critical minerals explorer Litchfield Minerals Limited (ASX:LMS) has announced that preparations for its maiden drilling program are well underway at the Silver King prospect within the Mount Doreen tenement, about 350km from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. This significant step follows the company's successful listing on the ASX on March 15 and marks the commencement of its planned drilling and exploration program, targeting notable copper, silver, and lead occurrences. In a recent development, the maiden Induced Polarisation (IP) survey conducted in May 2023 has delineated a discrete, strong chargeable zone near the historic copper workings. This finding suggests a potential vertical, pipe-like structure that could extend to significant...

Collinsville ready to ride as community ‘pump’ bike track build date announced Collinsville in Queensland will be “pumping” thanks to Bowen Rail Company and construction of a new $300,000 bike track for local bike riders, scooter enthusiasts, and skateboarders. Whitsunday Regional Council has announced that works on the Darcy Munro Park Pump Track will begin on 2 April, with stage one of the four-stage circuit expected to be ready for locals young and old to showcase their riding, cornering, and jumping skills by early May. Bowen Rail Company has fully-funded the first stage of the bike track, which is a circuit designed for users to apply a...

BCI Minerals signs offtake agreement with Chandra Asri BCI Minerals (ASX: BCI) has signed a binding offtake agreement for the supply of salt from the Mardie salt and potash project on the West Pilbara coast in WA. Over the next three years, BCI will supply Mardie salt to a subsidiary of Indonesian-based PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk. Subject to certain conditions being met, Chandra Asri has the right to extend the term for a further three years. In year one, BCI will supply 300kt of salt, with this figure increasing to 600kt in years two and...