PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland government has granted ASX-listed Australian Mines mining lease approval for its Sconi battery minerals project for a period of 25 years.

The company said this week that the approval of the Greenvale mining lease was another step in realising the Sconi battery minerals project, with the company expected to make a final investment decision by the end of 2025.

The estimated A$1.4-billion project has a planned life of 30 years, processing two-million tonnes of ore a year with the project planned for commissioning in 2028. Once operational, the opencut mine and the adjoining processing plant are expected to produce about 47 000 t of nickel sulphate, 7 000 t of cobalt sulphate and 89 t of scandium oxide.

The project is expected to employ 780 staff, the Queensland government said.

“Around the world, communities are demanding and making the shift towards a cleaner, greener low-emission economy,” Resources Minister Scott Stewart said.

“Queensland has an abundance of the critical minerals the world needs to decarbonise. The Sconi project is a vote of confidence in Queensland’s resources sector and means more good jobs for the state’s north.

“The government is backing the development of the state’s critical minerals sector through the recently released Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy as well as our A$5-billion Copperstring 2032 electricity transmission line.

“And planning is well underway on the A$75-million Queensland Resources Common User facility, a multi-user, multi- purpose warehouse designed to prove up the commercial viability of critical minerals in Queensland.”

Australian Mines is in discussions about the potential for a strategic collaborative partnership for the development of the Sconi battery minerals project and is progressing the environmental approval and other key workstreams.