Element 25 (E25) has received final approval for the expansion of its Butcherbird manganese mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This permit, granted by the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation ( DWER ), allows the company to move forward with the construction phase of the new processing facility, which will increase production to 1.1 million tonnes per year of manganese concentrate.
The Butcherbird Manganese Mine Expansion
The updated feasibility study, released in January 2025, estimated a capital cost of A$64.8 million and projected a pre-tax net present value ( NPV ) of A$561 million. The project also boasts an internal rate of return ( IRR ) of 96%, resulting in average cash flows of A$70.5 million per year over an estimated lifespan of more than 18 years.
With final approval in place, construction of the processing plant can begin immediately. This permit complements the previous authorization from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industrial Regulation and Safety ( DEMIRS ), which validated the mining and mine closure plan in January 2025.
Australian mining company E25 is seeking to increase production of manganese concentrate for the steel industry and supply essential raw material for the manufacture of high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate ( HPMSM ), which is essential for the production of electric vehicle batteries.
The manganese extracted at Butcherbird will be used as input for the first HPMSM refining plant in Louisiana, USA, a project developed by Element 25 in collaboration with General Motors and Stellantis . This project has received $166 million in financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy .
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Source and photo: Element 25
