Mining Technology

Daily Newsletter

07 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

Widgie Nickel receives mining approval for Faraday lithium project

The approval is subject to conditions, including the completion of a flora survey within the disturbance envelope.

ASX-listed nickel producer Widgie Nickel has secured conditional approval from Western Australia’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), to begin mining operations at its Faraday lithium deposit.

The company stated that the approval is subject to two conditions, specifically the completion of a flora survey within the disturbance envelope and the results must be provided to the DMIRS before starting any development or mining or any other construction activity.

A clearance must also be obtained under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 for the lithium deposit to begin mining operations as opposed to exploration.

The company has appointed Botanica as the botanical consultant to fulfil the DMIRS’ first condition.

The native group covering the project area, the Marlinyu Ghoorlie people, and their consultant anthropologist have agreed to begin a survey this month.

Widgie Nickebl managing director Steve Norregaard said: “Widgie has met a further key project milestone for the Faraday Project and within 12 months of first stepping on the ground we now have a shovel-ready mining project.

“The Widgie team’s lithium aspirations are nearing reality. The team and its consultants have done an amazing job in getting the fast-tracked Faraday development to this point.

"Achieving the ambitious timeframe for such an important milestone demonstrates the company’s resolve and desire to realise value for shareholders.”

The Faraday lithium deposit sits within the Mt Edwards Project which is located 75km south of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The location is claimed to be a world-class lithium corridor, covering a strike area of more than 100km.

The whole region has three major lithium resources, notably Essential Metals’ Dome North, Lithco’s Bald Hill and Mineral Resources’ Mt Marion.

ESG 2.0 marks a shift towards stricter environmental rules

ESG is moving into a different era, which we call ESG 2.0. While ESG 1.0 was driven by voluntary corporate action, spurred by pressure from activist consumers and investors, ESG 2.0 is being driven by a new wave of government policies. The EU has taken the regulatory lead, with rules introduced or in the pipeline that will price emissions, regulate the use of the terms ‘ESG’ and ‘sustainability’ in marketing materials, and make ESG reporting mandatory. The US has taken a different approach, favoring less regulation and more financial support in the form of tax breaks for clean industry (renewables plus nuclear and hydrogen). China is planning to expand its emissions trading system to more sectors, decarbonize its heavy industry, and ramp up its use of renewables. The new policy direction is mainly motivated by the ambition to hit net zero emissions targets. But on top of this, governments are now competing for clean industry and trying to challenge China’s leadership on the production of the world’s green technologies such as solar panels and batteries, as well as the production and refinement of materials needed for energy transition such as lithium. These driving forces are leading to policy that will impact every sector, not just heavy industry, and will keep ESG near the top of the regulatory agenda over the longer term.