https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Piedmont 'very optimistic' on North Carolina permit approval

4th August 2021

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

Piedmont Lithium expects to receive state regulatory approval for its proposed North Carolina lithium project and have it fully funded by mid-2022, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

Piedmont's project would be among the largest US lithium mines and a key domestic source of the white metal for electric vehicle batteries. But some local North Carolina officials have voiced concerns about its environmental impact and said they may block or delay it.

The company will apply for a state mining permit by mid-August and expects the review process to last six to nine months, CEO Keith Phillips told the Jefferies Virtual Industrials Conference.

"We're very optimistic of receiving that permit," Phillips said, adding he also expects the company to receive a necessary zoning variance from Gaston County, west of Charlotte. Phillips did not forecast a timeline for county approval.

State and county officials could not immediately be reached for comment after regular business hours.

State officials told Reuters last month they expected an application "in the near future." County officials have said they would not consider a zoning change until a state permit is issued.

During his presentation, Phillips did not discuss an announcement earlier this week that Piedmont has pushed back its timeline to begin shipments of lithium chemicals to Tesla Inc .

To fund the $840-million project, Phillips said Piedmont expects to rely on a US Department of Energy loan and an outside investor who could take a stake in up to half of the project "and hopefully pay a big price for that. If they don't, we won't bring in a partner".

Phillips said he hoped to have funding secured by the middle of next year.

The company, which recently took stakes in lithium projects in Quebec and Ghana, likely won't make other acquisitions in the near future, Phillips added.

Edited by Reuters

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Showroom

ABB Electrification
ABB Electrification

Electrifying the world in a safe, smart, and sustainable way, ABB Electrification is a global technology leader in electrical distribution and...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
EKATO Africa
EKATO Africa

Established in 1933, EKATO is the world leader in agitation technology, supplying agitators for processes and applications such as chemicals and...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







301

sq:0.049 0.666s - 140pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now