Infinity Lithium Corporation remains on track to submit the required applications for development of its San José lithium project in Spain – a proposed integrated lithium mining and lithium chemicals processing plant.
The company’s wholly-owned Spanish subsidiary, Extremadura New Energies, says works are progressing on its mining license application and the environmental impact assessment submission that will form part of its exploitation concession bid under the recently-granted exploration permit over the project area.
Infinity has also pointed to positive results from the recent Cáceres local and Extremadura regional elections, where the Popular Party proved victorious. Popular Party leader and incoming Mayor of Cáceres, Rafael Mateos, gave a pre-election indication that his party would potentially support the company’s project.
“As long as there is no environmental damage to the city, to the surroundings of Valdeflórez, and that there are industries associated with the project, we will support it,” Mr Mateos said.
The national election is still to be decided in polls next month, after which the regional government will be finalised. That should provide further clarity around the political support for the project’s development.
Extremadura New Energies chief executive officer Ramon Jimenez said: “We are looking forward to engaging positively and directly with incoming local and regional representatives who have highlighted the benefits of the Project and desire to progress with the requisite environmental, technical and economic benefits for the region. The community recognises the generational opportunities aligned to the Project development and complimentary industries as the global race for critical raw materials intensifies”.
Infinity says technical and administrative works are continuing throughout the election period and it expects to submit the exploitation concession application in the fourth quarter of this year. Management is developing the project in a joint venture with Valoriza Mineria, where Infinity holds 75 per cent and an option over the project to obtain full ownership.
The San José project, which sits about 280km west of Madrid towards the Portuguese border, boasts the second-biggest JORC-compliant hard-rock lithium deposit in the European Union at 1.6 million tonnes of lithium chloride concentrate equivalent.
Infinity’s plan is for its resource to feed its proposed fully-integrated industrial project to produce battery-grade lithium chemicals for the European battery industry. A 2021 scoping study estimated steady-state production on site, averaging 19,500 tonnes per annum of battery-grade lithium hydroxide in a 26-year period.
Production from the project would provide an essential component in the EU’s development of a vertically-integrated lithium-ion battery supply chain. The availability of critical raw materials and local production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide is essential to ensure the transition of the EU auto industry to electric vehicles.
Infinity says its underground mining plans would leave next to no disturbance to local terrain and would also reduce dust and noise production. Underground mining would allow non-toxic waste tailings to be reinserted back underground as part of the immediate rehabilitation process.
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By Meagan Evans
