PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Lithium miner Piedmont Lithium has received the final permit to advance the construction of its Tennessee lithium project, in the US.

The ASX- and Nasdaq-listed company on Friday said that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation had issued an air permit for the project, marking the last of the material permits required for the project construction.

“Tennessee Lithium is uniquely positioned in America’s emerging Battery Belt to supply the domestic market with crucial, made-in-America lithium resources,” Piedmont Lithium president and CEO Keith Phillips said on Friday.

“Since announcing the selection of the site in McMinn County nearly one year ago, our team has been focused on permitting, engineering and working with local officials to prepare this project to support the electric vehicle and battery manufacturing supply chain. As demand for lithium hydroxide continues to soar in the US, this conversion facility will be key in the domestic effort to reduce reliance on foreign nations for lithium processing.”

A definitive feasibility study (DFS) estimated that Tennessee would require a capital investment of $809-million, based on the production of 30 000 t/y of lithium hydroxide over an operating life of 30 years, with the study estimating an after-tax net present value of $2.4-billion and an after-tax internal rate of return of 32%.

The DFS assumes that Tennessee Lithium will operate from approximately 196 000 t/y of 6% Li₂O spodumene concentrate purchased at market rates from third parties. To support Tennessee Lithium operations, Piedmont’s strategy is to work with joint venture (JV) partner Atlantic Lithium to develop the Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana, where Piedmont holds offtake rights to 50% of spodumene concentrate production on a life-of-mine basis.

Tennessee will be partly funded from cashflows generated by Piedmont’s North American Lithium JV with fellow listed Sayona Mining, as well as a $141.7-million grant from the US Department of Energy.

Piedmont earlier this year said that the company was open to joint venturing at Tennesee.