Name of the Project
High-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) plant.

Location
Louisiana, in the US.

Project Owner/s
Element 25.

Project Description
The processing circuit will convert manganese ores from Element 25 to HPMSM and fertiliser-grade manganese sulphate using a hydrometallurgical process. At full production, the HPMSM project will consume concentrate volumes equivalent to 60% of the current Butcherbird manganese concentrate production.

The HPMSM plant will produce a nominal 65 000 t/y of battery-grade HPMSM per train, expanding to 130 000 t/y using a second train. Additionally, the plant will produce reusable material in the form of a fertiliser feedstock, a ferrosilicon smelter feedstock suitable for use in steel production processes and a gypsum by-product for industrial use.

The startup site layout and infrastructure have been designed to allow for expansion.

Potential Job Creation
The facility is projected to create about 200 permanent jobs when it is fully operational.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project is estimated to have a pretax net present value of $1.66-billion and an internal rate of return of 29%.

Capital Expenditure
Element 25 expects to invest about $289-million to build the facility.

Planned Start/End Date
Site preparation is planned to begin in the third quarter of 2023, and the plant is scheduled to open in 2025.

Latest Developments
Element 25 has signed a definitive agreement with automotive major General Motors (GM) to supply up to 32 500 t/y of battery-grade HPMSM to support GM’s electric vehicle (EV) production in North America.

Under the agreement, GM will provide Element 25 with a $85-million loan to partially fund the construction of an HPMSM facility, which will produce manganese sulphate by processing manganese concentrate from Element 25’s mining operations in Western Australia.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
ALS Laboratories (metallurgical testwork); HPS (manganese marketing, offtake and logistics support); Mining Solutions (project management, financial modelling); NG Consult (metallurgical assessment and process engineering); and ProjX (process flowsheet development and engineering design).

Contact Details for Project Information
Element25, tel +61 8 6315 1400 or email admin@e25.com.au.