Andrew Forrest grabs land for proposed refinery and big battery metals play
A final investment decision will not be made until a feasibility study is complete in mid-2024, and will be subject to those findings.
Still, Wyloo and IGO say they are already advancing discussions with an unnamed global battery chemical manufacturer and say it is important Australia plays a role in the battery supply chain beyond mining raw minerals.
“We believe the area where Australia can be most competitive is in mid-stream battery chemical processing,” said IGO acting CEO Matt Dusci.
“We strongly believe … we will deliver a fully optimised nickel supply chain delivering low-cost, low-carbon, responsibly produced battery chemicals for the global battery and electric vehicle industry, to be delivered through an integrated battery material facility here in Western Australia.”
The CEO of Wyloo, Luca Giacovazzi, said Western Australia holds some of the world’s highest-grade nickel, and there is huge potential for more discoveries to be made.
“WA is already a leading supplier of critical minerals, and this is the spark it needs to become a global hub for battery metals,” he said.
“There’s a huge opportunity to grow the industry and Western Australian jobs by supporting the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”