Ioneer Ltd received its federal permit for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project from the Bureau of Land Management.
With the positive decision, Rhyolite Ridge becomes the first U.S. lithium project approved by the Biden Administration as part of its efforts to accelerate domestic critical mineral production and advances the Esmeralda County, Nevada investment toward construction in 2025 and first production in 2028.
Rhyolite Ridge 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 project will create an estimated 500 jobs during construction and 350 high paying jobs during its decades in operation.
“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.”
“I can say with absolute confidence there are few deposits in the world as impactful as Rhyolite Ridge. Today’s approval of Ioneer’s federal permit is the culmination of countless hours of work and a testament to our remarkable team’s dedication to developing and building one of the most sustainable mining projects in the country,” said Ioneer Executive Chairman James Calaway. “We are pleased by what we have achieved working with the Biden Administration, and by the bi-partisan support we have received at the federal, state and local levels.”
The formal Record of Decision (ROD) follows the issuance last month of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by the BLM, which incorporated public feedback received during the April-June open comment period, and concludes the rigorous and comprehensive formal federal permitting process, which began in early 2020. Ioneer’s pre-permitting work began in early 2019 and, in December 2022, the company formally entered the final stages of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, as required by all projects on federal lands.
Ioneer enacted major changes to the project throughout the permitting process resulting in a stronger, more sustainable project that incorporates the needs and concerns of all stakeholders. They include:
- Major modification to the location of the western wall of the quarry to avoid Tiehm’s buckwheat, an endangered species adjacent to the project designated in December 2022,
- Relocation of all possible infrastructure and related disturbance to areas outside of critical habitat identified because of its potential to support pollinators for Tiehm’s buckwheat,
- Relocation of overburden storage facilities to avoid culturally sensitive sites and other important mitigation measures based on input from tribal site visits and consultation,
- Commitments to water conservation, and
- Commitments to dust, noise and light monitoring as well as mitigation and minimization of impact for the community and nature.
As part of the final EIS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the administration of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), also formally released the ESA Section 7 Biological Opinion concluding Rhyolite Ridge will not jeopardize Tiehm’s buckwheat or adversely modify its critical habitat.
Rhyolite Ridge’s commitment to sustainability extends to its processing facility, for which 70% of engineering is complete, to recycle half of all the water used. As Ioneer’s facility comes online, the company will evaluate and continue to deploy new technologies to further reduce water consumption.
Due to the deposit’s unique minerology, Ioneer will limit its operational footprint by avoiding the use of evaporation ponds and curtail its carbon footprint as its steam-powered facility will operate independently from the Nevada energy grid.
With the project formally approved by the federal government, 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.
Ioneer’s estimated timeline for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project targets a Final Investment Decision in the first quarter of 2025, factoring in the Sibanye-Stillwater agreement, a conditional loan from the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, and other required funding. Construction is expected to take 36 months, including the procurement of long-lead items, with timelines subject to order placement and lead times. Commercial production and delivery of high-grade lithium and boron are anticipated to begin in 2028, with processing occurring on-site at Rhyolite Ridge.
