Wesfarmers and SQM's Covalent Lithium has produced its first batch of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from its refinery in Kwinana, as setbacks plague local competitors.
Wesfarmers has disclosed an expected loss of $60 million this year from its half share of the Covalent Lithium joint venture and a bigger loss next financial year.
Liontown and Covalent Lithium are among the struggling lithium miners hoping to take advantage of the WA government's $150 million rescue package as prices remain languished.
Wesfarmers has reported a small rise in interim profit from its diverse retail and industrial operations while maintaining plans to invest heavily in the depressed lithium sector.
Venus Metals' hunt for lithium at its Penny East project in Western Australia's Mid West region – within ground initially secured for gold and base metals prospectivity – has revealed encouraging soil geochemical results. The company says it identified an anomalous area measuring about 800m by 600m, while a second 800m-wide anomaly is open to the north. Further soil sampling and shallow drilling is planned.
Venus Metals has kicked off its maiden reverse-circulation drill campaign at its Youanmi lithium project where lithium-bearing pegmatites were recently discovered at its highly-compelling Deep South lithium prospect. The Deep South lithium prospect sits 44km south of the Youanmi Gold Mine, which is about 450km north-east of Perth in Western Australia's rugged Murchison region.
The WA government will step in to fill a $300 million funding gap for regional road projects left by the federal government's exit from 50 funding partnerships nationwide.
Chilean lithium giant SQM has struck a $1.63 billion deal to acquire Mark Creasy-backed Pilbara battery metals explorer Azure Minerals, but a share raid this morning has clouded the transaction.
WA Premier Roger Cook believes the state has only “just scratched the surface” of its renewables potential as he outlines his vision for WA to become a global green energy superpower.
Civil engineering and construction contractor Decmil Group has received a limited notice of award for road infrastructure works for Covalent Lithium's Mount Holland project.
The pipeline of big resources projects in WA increasingly features complex processing plants, despite a spate of large cost blowouts on projects currently under way.
Pilbara Minerals has given the tick of approval to invest a further $560 million to nearly double nameplate production at its Pilgangoora lithium project in the Pilbara.
Pilbara Minerals and its partner POSCO have secured backing from two government-owned banks for their lithium hydroxide refinery being built in South Korea at a cost of $1.1 billion.
Newly listed exploration company Patriot Lithium has announced the appointment of its inaugural chief executive after two months trading on the market.
Osborne Park-based transport company Northfleet has partnered with Covalent Lithium to deliver what is considered Australia's first electric coach for the mining industry.
Business News has updated its listing of WA's biggest resources projects to incorporate a spate of new developments and analysed which projects are next.
Mineral Resources has told analysts it can build a lithium refinery in the Pilbara at a much cheaper price than equivalent refineries in WA's South West.
The state's peak environmental body has signed off on the addition of a solar farm as part of Wesfarmers' $1.9 billion Mount Holland lithium mine plan.
Wesfarmers boss Rob Scott has announced a “solid” full-year profit, and expressed concern about labour shortages and cost uncertainty affecting new investments, but is positive about next week's jobs summit.
ASX-listed contractor Civmec has been tasked with constructing a new refinery in Kwinana to support Wesfarmers-backed Covalent Lithium's Mount Holland mine.
Australia's first lithium hydroxide refinery at Kwinana has commenced production five years after the start of construction, but with full capacity still 18 months away.
Construction of the Mt Holland lithium mine and a Kwinana refinery will begin next year, Wesfarmers announced today, with the green light given to the mine development.
A final investment decision for Wesfarmers and SQM's proposed lithium project in WA has been delayed, as the joint venture undertakes further work to reduce its cost.
