Western Australia continues to evolve into a globally significant energy metals province, with Pilbara Minerals securing funding to support a second stage of its Pilgangoora lithium mine in the north of the state, while US chemicals giant Albemarle Corporation has begun work on its $1 billion lithium hydroxide facility near Bunbury.
Woodside Petroleum's Browse and Scarborough LNG developments are the biggest of $95 billion of major projects under way or likely in Western Australia, with 96 ongoing and a further 68 probable.
Mineral Resources has struck a deal to sell a 50 per cent stake in its Wodgina lithium project for $US1.15 billion ($1.6 billion), with the company set to form a joint venture with US outfit Albemarle Corporation.
Albemarle Corporation has revised the construction schedule for its $1 billion lithium plant at Kemerton, with site works due to start next month and the US company accelerating expansion of the project.
Talison Lithium and Global Advanced Metals have reached an in-principle settlement deal in their legal dispute over expansion plans for the Greenbushes mine.
Nearly 140 major projects are either under way or planned for WA, new research by Business News has found. Click through to access the new list on the BNiQ Search Engine.
Talison Lithium has confirmed it will build a third concentrator at the Greenbushes lithium mine to boost output to 1.95 million tonnes per annum, but the owner of tantalum rights at the project has again warned the expansion will be subject to an ongoing legal battle.
Work is continuing on the stage one expansion at Greenbushes lithium mine, according to Talison Lithium, despite the business hitting a legal speed bump in a dispute with Global Advanced Metals.
The environmental watchdog has recommended conditional approval to US-based Albemarle Corporation's proposed 100,000 tonnes per annum lithium refinery near Bunbury.
Moves to encourage downstream lithium processing in Western Australia continued today, with the state government announcing a taskforce to develop a strategy for the sector.
A plan to redouble capacity at Talison Lithium's Greenbushes mine was lodged with the federal government's environmental regulator last week, while US-based Albemarle Corporation has updated its timeframe for a Kemerton refinery.
Kwinana has been selected as the site for what is likely to be the fourth lithium refinery in Western Australia, with investment in the boom sector estimated to exceed $4 billion in the next few years.
Applecross-based Mineral Resources is looking to sell a 49 per cent stake in its Wodgina lithium project, as work to investigate the feasibility of a lithium hydroxide or carbonate processing plant at the site continues.
Kerman Contracting has won a $20 million contract for works associated with the upgrade of the crushing circuit at Talison Lithium's Greenbushes operation in the South West.
Global Advanced Metals has submitted a development plan to begin direct tantalum mining at Greenbushes in Western Australia's South West, as it continues legal proceedings against the company that mines lithium at the same site.
The global lithium supply chain will be worth more than $1 trillion in 10 years' time, if an analysis written for the Association of Mining & Exploration Companies pans out, with Western Australia well placed to grab a share.
