Avenira has secured approval from Australia's Northern Territory Government for its mine management plan (MMP) for the Wonarah phosphate project.

The approval, which has been issued under the Mining Management Act 2001, allows Avenira to extract 40,000tpa of ore. It allows a staged expansion of the Wonarah direct shipping ore (DSO) project.

The DSO project aims to mine and sell high-grade phosphate ore from the Wonarah phosphate mine.

Avenira will now undertake an initial test pit targeting 5,000t of marketable DSO material; begin the DSO project to mine an additional 35,000t of ore; and perform surface-grade control drilling to support detailed mine planning for the remaining DSO operations.

In a press statement, Avenira said: “The authorisation enables staged expansion of the DSO Project with customary conditions, including submitting an amended MMP with findings of surface grade control drilling, a pathway to development and consideration of site rehabilitation, along with other supporting documents that demonstrate appropriate management of environmental risks.”

The Wonorah mine will provide feedstock for Avenira’s lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) project planned to be built at the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct.

Avenira chairman and CEO Brett Clark said: “Completing this project will see Darwin become a key supplier of critical materials to the global battery market.

“The signing of the MMP follows the conclusion recently of formal agreements with our technology partner Aleees, which shows this project is moving forward very positively.”