PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The South Australian Department of Energy and Mining has approved ASX-listed Renascor Resources’ Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (PEPR) for its proposed Siviour graphite mine and concentrator.

The PEPR approval permits Renascor to process up to 1.65-million tonnes a year, which would allow Renascor to produce up to 150 000 t/y of graphite concentrates.

“Obtaining PEPR approval brings Renascor another key step closer to becoming a producer of 100% Australian-made purified spherical graphite. This approval is the culmination of extensive technical, environmental and social investigation over the last six years, and satisfies a fundamental condition precedent of the Australian government’s A$185-million loan facility to fund Renascor’s integrated Siviour battery anode material (BAM) project,” said Renascor MD David Christensen.

“We are very proud that our Siviour project has satisfied the comprehensive conditions required by the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining and we look forward to continued engagement with the local community and the state government as we work towards the commencement of mining and graphite production at Siviour with minimal environmental impacts and maximum social and economic benefits to the local and wider community.

“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. 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,” Christensen said.

Renascor intends to integrate the Siviour graphite mine and concentrator operation with the BAM project, using concentrates from the Siviour mining operation to produce purified spherical graphite for use in lithium-ion battery anodes.

Renascor is undertaking a number of workstreams on the BAM project, including an optimisation study to increase purified spherical graphite production from the planned 28 000 t/y to use the maximum processing capacity approved by the PEPR, and resource expansion drilling.