PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Lithium developer ioneer has submitted an application for a class 2 air quality permit for its Rhyolite Ridge lithium/boron project, in Nevada.
The ASX-listed company on Wednesday said that the project would operate under the jurisdiction of the Nevada division of Environmental Protection, the Bureau of Air Pollution Control and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
“Environmental stewardship is core to ioneer’s strategy and mission. We are extremely proud that the project will produce lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and boric acid using off-grid, internally generated zero carbon dioxide power, resulting in a process plant with low emissions of greenhouse gases and minimal hazardous air pollutants,” said ioneer MD Bernard Rowe.
“The selection of the most advance, high-efficiency equipment resulting in low to ultralow emissions is further evidence of our commitment to the environment while producing materials essential to a sustainable future.”
A definitive feasibility study into the Rhyolite Ridge project estimated that it would require a capital investment of $785-million to produce 20 600 t/y of lithium carbonate, converting in the fourth year of operation to 22 000 t/y of battery grade lithium hydroxide and 174 000 t/y of boric acid, over a mine life of 26 years.