“Today’s announcement of the production of battery grade Lithium...

“Today’s announcement of the production of battery grade Lithium at 99.8% Li2CO3 is a highly significant event that has enabled the decision to proceed to bench scale testing and pilot plant design,” he added.

“We have a potentially large lithium resource and are able to produce high quality product in a market with a rapidly increasing demand and price.

“Based in Arizona, USA, with a large number of quality infrastructure choices and highly proactive State and Federal Governments, the planets are aligning for Hawkstone and its shareholders.”

Metallurgical testing and US clean energy drive

The hydrometallurgical process that Hazen is evaluating on Hawkstone’s behalf is a straighforward process using sulphuric acid leaching and leach solution purification to produce lithium carbonate with a lower environmental footprint than peer developments.

Hawkstone will continually assess process improvements including those achieved during the initial testing program, with the initial test work demonstrating that the present flowsheet is a viable approach for the development of the Big Sandy resource.

US President Joe Biden’s campaign has also stated privately to US miners that he will support boosting domestic production of critical metals used to make electric vehicles, solar panels and backup storage battery modules, and other products crucial to his goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

With its location in Arizona’s “battery corridor” straddling two major highways and just 80km from one of two US transcontinental railroads, Big Sandy is perfectly positioned to capitalise on this shift towards clean energy.