A major graphite project on the Eyre Peninsula has moved a step closer to development
A graphite mine near Arno Bay on the Eyre Peninsula has moved a step closer to construction after being granted a key state government approval.
Renascor Resources has secured a key approval for its Siviour project on the Eyre Peninsula with the state government signing off on its Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (PEPR).
The approval permits Renascor to process up to 1.65 million tonnes of ore per year, which would allow it to produce up to 150,000 tonnes of graphite concentrates.
The company is aiming to mine graphite on the Eyre Peninsula and then process it at a facility in the metropolitan area to produce high-value purified spherical graphite which it says is in high demand in the battery industry.
Renascor said the approval meant it could more forward with the mining element of the project.
Managing director David Christensen said it was the culmination of six years of work, and satisfied a key condition of the federal government’s $185m loan facility for the project.
“The timing of the PEPR approval is especially opportune for the Siviour Project, as there is growing potential for substantial upstream bottlenecks in the graphite-anode-battery supply chain due in large part to the lengthier approval process associated with new graphite mining operations relative to rapidly growing anode capacity,’’ he said.
“With this important regulatory milestone now achieved, Renascor is well poised to rapidly advance through the final development stages, into construction and operation of an important new supply line for the lithium-ion battery industry.”
The mining project was granted a mineral lease in 2019.
The Siviour project is about 15km west of Arno Bay. It is expected to create 160 jobs once operational.
Renascor shares were trading 1c lower at 31c on Monday.