Procurement will begin immediately, with construction set for completion by Q4 2025. Credit: Calix.

The Mid-Stream Demonstration Plant Project in Western Australia (WA), a joint venture (JV) between Calix and Pilbara Minerals, has received formal approval by the board of directors to resume construction.

In October 2024, the JV partners temporarily halted non-contracted construction for the project until lithium market conditions improved or additional government support was secured.

The new approval followed the award of a A$15m ($9.4m) grant from the WA Government in January 2025.

The project includes the construction and operation of a demonstration-scale plant featuring what is said to be the world’s first industrial-scale electric spodumene calciner at Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora lithium site in WA.

It is expected to decarbonise one of the most carbon-intensive processes in the battery materials supply chain.

Procurement activities will begin immediately and all construction works are due to be completed in the last quarter of 2025 (Q4 2025).

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Pilbara Minerals managing director and CEO Dale Henderson said: “Thanks to the WA Government we are able to complete construction of the Mid-Stream Demonstration Project, which has the potential to be a game-changer for the hard rock lithium processing industry.

“This technology could create additional local jobs in Western Australia while producing a higher-value, lithium-enriched product at the mine site. This more concentrated product reduces transport volumes to our customers and ensures more value is captured onshore for Australia.”

The project is an essential part of Pilbara Minerals’ strategy to be integrated more effectively in the battery materials supply chain.

The project will generate around 80 jobs during construction and 35 during operation, with potential for more if expanded to full scale.

The project is also backed by A$20m in funding from the Australian Government under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

Henderson added: “Australia has an opportunity to do more than dig and ship our minerals and through this joint venture we are looking to prove up a new way to make this possible, not only for PLS (Pilbara Minerals) but for the whole industry.”