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

Location
Louisiana, in the US.

Project Owner/s
Element 25 (E25).

Project Description
A feasibility study has confirmed the viability of producing HPMSM for sale to local and international offtake partners, with an environmental impact that is significantly lower than that of incumbent producers to supply the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) supply chain in the US.

The project comprises a production facility capable of producing a nominal 65 000 t/y of battery-grade HPMSM per train for total production of 130 000 t/y.

The HPMSM plant will also 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.

In addition to the Louisiana base case location, the feasibility study has also investigated the capital and operating costs for an alternative location in Sarawak, Malaysia. Extensive investigations have previously been undertaken at the site, and Element 25 is in advanced discussions with Malaysian government bodies and potential offtake and finance partners to build an HPMSM facility in the Samalaju Industrial Park.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $1.66-billion and an internal rate of return 29%.

Capital Expenditure
Train 1 will require capital expenditure of $289-million, with an additional $187-million required for Train 2.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
General Motors (GM) has completed due diligence and accepted E25’s feasibility study as a condition of the definitive agreement announced between the companies on June 26, 2023.

E25 and GM signed a definitive agreement for E25 to supply battery-grade HPMSM to support GM’s EV battery requirements. In addition, GM will provide E25 with a $85-million loan towards financing the construction of its HPMSM processing facility, in the US, which will process manganese concentrate from E25’s Butcherbird mine, in Western Australia.

Remaining conditions include completion of product validation, securing the balance of the required project financing, finalising project permitting and executing the contracts with regard to the preferred plant site in Louisiana.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Element 25, tel +61 8 6375 2525 or email admin@e25.com.au.