Element 25 Ltd welcomes the dismissal of an Application for Forfeiture by Cacique Resources Pty Ltd affecting licence E63/2027 at the company’s 100%-owned Lake Johnston Lithium Project in Western Australia.
The company has received notification from legal counsel that the Perth Mining Warden has agreed to dismiss the Application for Forfeiture with no orders to cost.
As a result, the application has been dismissed and the matter is now resolved.
About Lake Johnston
Lake Johnston, which is 500 kilometres east of Perth, is in a prolific lithium region of the state’s south in proximity to other properties, including those of TG Metals and Charger Metals, which are adjoining.
Lithium prospects occur in a corridor along the southern and western margin of the Lake Johnston granite batholith.
E25’s project is about 70 kilometres east of the large Earl Grey (Mt Holland) Lithium Project in operation by Covalent Lithium Pty Ltd, a joint venture between SQM and Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) Ltd.
Mt Holland is one of the largest hard-rock lithium projects in Australia, expected to produce 2 million tonnes per annum of lithium ore over a 50-year mine life.
E25 has identified several high-priority lithium pegmatite targets from activities at Lake Johnson and follow-up work is planned to define the targets further and pave the way for drill-testing of the most compelling targets.
Manganese is primary focus
The company is primarily focused on the world-class 100%-owned Butcherbird Manganese Project where it is undertaking activities to expand annual production to approximately 1.1 million tonnes of medium-grade high silica manganese ore for use in traditional and new energy markets.
E25 is also commercialising innovative proprietary technology to produce battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) for use in Electric Vehicle battery manufacturing and plans to build its first HPMSM refinery in Louisiana, USA, to produce raw materials for the US EV market in partnership with General Motors LLC (NYSE:GM) and Stellantis N.V.
This refinery is planned as the first of several HPMSM facilities planned for development under E25’s 'Design One Build Many' commercialisation strategy which envisages a hub and spoke model, with ore from the Butcherbird Mine to supply processing facilities in key regional markets.
The Louisiana project has been selected to negotiate for the award of US$166 million in grant funding as part of the Department of Energy (DoE) MESC battery raw materials grant program.
E25’s addition of a potential HPMSM refinery site in Chiba prefecture in Japan in partnership with Nissan Chemical is another exciting step forward in realising this strategic plan.