ioneer Ltd (‘ioneer’ or the ‘Company’) (ASX: INR), an emerging lithium-boron supplier, confirmed the issuance of a Class II Air Quality Permit for its Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project (the “Project”) in Nevada.
The issuance of the Air Quality Permit follows a detailed review of the Project by the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Bureau of Air Pollution Control and is a requirement for construction to commence at Rhyolite Ridge.
The Project will comprise a quarry, an overburden storage facility, the first sulphuric acid plant permitted in the State of Nevada, an ore processing facility responsible for boric acid and lithium carbonate production, and a spent ore storage facility.
The Project’s Acid Plant features MECS® /SNC Lavalin designed heat recovery technology, which means the plant will generate all the electricity and heat needed for normal operations. This means the operation will be energy-independent and using co-generated zero-carbon power. The Acid Plant features state-of-the-art controls that limit emissions to among the lowest in the world for this type of plant.
The facility will not use fossil fuels to generate electricity during normal operations and will not draw power from the electricity grid.
ioneer’s Managing Director, Bernard Rowe, said:
“Our commitment to responsible production is at the core of our operation. The issuance of the Class II Air Quality Permit represents a significant milestone for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project and supports our detailed plans for a processing plant with low emissions and minimal hazardous air pollutants.
“We are grateful for the efforts of NDEP, our consultants and ioneer employees to achieve this milestone. After regulatory review and public comment period, we are pleased that Rhyolite Ridge is the first project with sulphuric acid production to receive a Class II Air Quality permit in Nevada.
“As the most advanced lithium development project in the US, we are committed to ensuring Rhyolite Ridge is a sustainable, environmentally sensitive operation that also delivers significant positive economic impact in the state of Nevada. This important step allows us to continue to develop the Project and work toward construction.”
This ASX release has been authorized by ioneer Managing Director, Bernard Rowe.
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About Rhyolite Ridge and ioneer
ioneer Ltd is the 100% owner of the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project located in Nevada, the only known lithium-boron deposit in North America and one of only two known such deposits in the world. Rhyolite Ridge is expected to become a globally significant, long-life, cost-effective source of lithium and boron vital to a sustainable future.
Rhyolite Ridge’s unique mineralogy allows lithium and boron to be extracted in a low- cost and environmentally sustainable manner. The Project’s commercial viability is made possible by having both lithium and boron revenue.