Element 25 has received key regulatory approvals for the stage two expansion of its Butcherbird manganese project in Western Australia.

The Western Australia Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) has approved the project's mining proposal and mine closure plan.

The expansion will increase manganese concentrate production from the project to 1.1Mt per annum up to 2026.

Approval for the project's tailings storage facility (TSF) to support six years of processing operations has also been granted with future expansion provisions in place.

Element 26 stated: "This is a key approval under the Western Australian regulatory framework and marks an important milestone for the Butcherbird project."

The company now awaits works approval to begin construction of the expanded processing facility, having submitted the application in October 2024.

Approval is expected soon, with “no known impediments”.

All necessary approvals and access agreements are in place for Butcherbird’s Stage 1 operations, including water abstraction, heritage clearances, native title and pastoral agreements.

Located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the Butcherbird project is the company’s flagship manganese asset and has the potential to significantly contribute to the global manganese market.

The expanded operations will supply manganese oxide concentrate to downstream steel markets and serve as feedstock for Element 25's battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate processing facility, planned for construction in the US state of Louisiana.

The facility, to be developed in partnership with General Motors and Stellantis, has backing from the US government’s Department of Energy (DoE).

It was selected to negotiate for the award of $166m in DoE grant funding for the project. The refinery will supply raw materials to the fast-growing US electric vehicle battery market.

This aligns with Element 25’s goal to become a global leader in low-carbon battery materials.