Venari Minerals has produced high-purity 99.5 per cent lithium carbonate from its Red Mountain project in Nevada, US.
The results provide a proof-of-concept and de-risking step, confirming that the project’s sedimentary mineralisation can be transformed into a value-added chemical product using established processing methods.
Achieving the 99.5 per cent purity threshold is a major win for the company, as this is the standard required for battery-grade material used in electric vehicle supply chains.
Unlike many hard-rock lithium projects that require expensive overseas downstream processing, Red Mountain’s ability to produce a refined chemical on-site offers a distinct advantage.
This development aligns with the US Federal Government’s push to establish domestic critical mineral supply chains and reduce reliance on imports.
Venari CEO Matthew Healy said the results validate the feasibility of the project.
“It delivers proof-of-concept that lithium hosted within this sedimentary style of mineralisation can be converted into a value-added chemical product using established processing pathways,” Healy said.
“This ability to produce a value-added lithium product not only differentiates Venari from the majority of ASX-listed lithium explorers, but also opens the door to engaging with lithium chemical and cathode manufacturers – both in the US and its trading partners – with a view to easing US lithium import-reliance for its battery mineral supply chains.”
The milestone comes as lithium carbonate spot prices show renewed strength, recently surging to over US$22,750 per tonne, further boosting the project’s economic outlook.
The metallurgical test-work, conducted by Hazen Research, also identified two potentially lucrative by-products: epsomite (magnesium sulphate) and strontium.
Strontium is a critical metal used in military pyrotechnics and tracers. Under the National Defense Authorisation Act, the US is mandated to secure domestic or allied sourcing for strontium by 2028, a significant opportunity for the company given the US is currently 100 per cent import-dependent for the metal.
Meanwhile, epsomite, also known as Epsom Salts, is predominantly an agricultural product with prices ranging from US $370-430/t in the past year.
With a substantial three-million-tonne Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) inferred resource already on the books, Venari is now looking to maximise value.
Future work will focus on further reducing magnesium and sodium impurities and testing the separation of strontium and epsomite to increase project revenue.
