Mineral Resources Ltd. has restarted operations at its Bald Hill lithium mine in Western Australia’s Goldfields region, driven by a significant and sustained recovery in global lithium prices.
The company placed Bald Hill on care and maintenance in November 2024 to preserve capital and protect the value of its 58.1 million tonne mineral resource. Following months of diligent planning, MinRes is preparing for a rapid return to production.
Ramp-up activities at the site are scheduled to begin in late May, with crushing and mining operations slated for June.
The company expects its first spodumene concentrate production by July, targeting an initial shipment from the Port of Esperance in the first quarter of the 2027 financial year. The mine is projected to reach full capacity by the second quarter of fiscal 2027.
Once fully operational, Bald Hill boasts an annual production capacity of circa 165,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of 5.1 per cent spodumene concentrate, equivalent to 140,000 dmt at the SC6 benchmark.
MinRes Managing Director Chris Ellison said resurgent market demand made it the ideal time to bring the asset back online.
“With strong and sustained demand for spodumene concentrate driving a significant recovery in prices, the time is right to restart operations at Bald Hill,” Ellison said.
“Once production resumes at Bald Hill, MinRes will be the only company globally operating three hard-rock lithium mines, each with its own spodumene concentrate facilities.
“This uniquely positions us as a leader in the lithium market and demonstrates our commitment to meeting the world’s growing demand for battery minerals.”
To expedite the process, MinRes will redeploy 110 personnel from its other operations, backfilling those roles internally. The company’s Mining Services division will handle all mining, crushing, processing, and haulage under its integrated build-own-operate model.
MinRes estimates restart costs, including working capital to be incurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, at AU$20 million.
