"it may very well be a vanity project which could cost...

"it may very well be a vanity project which could cost shareholders significantly."
Agreed.
I'd doubt whether the last management would've bothered with battery materials, Brian Gilbertson was too smart for that.

I agree 100%
"Future growth in demand for manganese (along with iron) is going to be driven largely by the rapid urbanization, industrialization and growth of emerging economies such as China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Sub-Saharan Africa together with SEA, rather than battery tech/electrification. "

There are far better prospects in the mining field, I did suggest to management an exploration asset in WA would be far better. Diversify at minimal cost, would also get the staff out of the office and do something useful. There are some very cheap juniors on offer, JMS could offer cash and script. Management don't even have the common courtesy to respond. Frankly I think the current management is second rate. They have a great asset, but it was Brian Gilbertson who was the mastermind and drove the project forward. I have great respect for Brian even though he tried to steal my ConsMin shares 15 years ago.