PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Swedish Court of Appeal has rejected a bid to appeal the grant of graphite developer Talga Group’s permit for its Nunasvaara South mine, in Sweden.
The company was in April granted the environment and Natura 2000 permit for the mining operation, which would be the source of natural graphite for Talga’s green lithium-ion battery anode production project.
A number of parties have sought leave to appeal the decision, but Talga on Friday reported that the Court of Appeal had determined that there were no grounds to grant leave to appeal to any of the parties.
“We are pleased with this outcome. Talga is dedicated to mitigating environmental impacts associated with its projects, having diligently adhered to the regulatory procedures. This commitment is evident via the comprehensive and transparent nature of the permitting process,” said Talga MD Mark Thompson.
“We are excited to continue working on this critical project for European green battery production alongside the local community and stakeholders.”
The parties now have until September 28 to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision to the Supreme Court. If no appeals are filed the environmental and Natura 2000 permit will come into force.
Vittangi will use 100% renewable electricity to produce an initial 19 500 t/y of green anode for lithium-ion batteries from an integrated mine and anode refinery operation in northern Sweden, over an initial mine life of 24 years.
Talga is targeting the start of construction groundworks this quarter. Early works, including anode equipment procurement and early detailed engineering, are underway.