Local in depth view of PLL.
May have generated more Interest in US.
https://www.gastongazette.com/story/news/2021/01/05/gaston-and-cleveland-future-u-s-lithium-mining-production/3945270001/
05/01/2021
Piedmont Lithium plans to produce 160,000metric tons of SC6 each year for five years. The company hopes to diversify its clientele by selling the other two-thirds of its production to U.S. electric vehicle auto makers, such as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors, according to Austin Devaney, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing.
SC6from Piedmont Lithium will be used to power at least 350,000 Tesla cars each year, Devaney said.
To put that in perspective, Tesla delivered 367,500 cars – the majority of the mmanufactured at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, Calif. -- in 2019 globally.
SC6production is only projected to make up 10% to 20% of Piedmont Lithium’s total revenues. Piedmont Lithium expects to also process several by-products – mica, quartz, feldspar – found in the proposed mine and sell them to non-battery industries, like glass, cosmetics, ceramics, and automotive paint.
The Tesla agreement begins upon delivery of the first product, which Piedmont Lithium expects will be delivered between July 2022 and July 2023. If all goes well, Tesla and Piedmont Lithium can agree to extend the deal another five years.
It’s a game-changing deal, according to Patrick Brindle, vice president of project management for Piedmont Lithium.
For example, more than 80% of the world’s lithium hydroxide is produced in China, according to Piedmont Lithium.
Brindle said that system is no longer realistic, and luckily, Tesla CEO Elon Musk agrees.
Gaston Land Co., a Piedmont Lithium holding company, owns roughly 32 parcels at the future mining site, though the company has signed lease and option-to-purchase agreements with other home and landowners.
This gives Piedmont Lithium access to the future mining land before Gaston Land Co. buys the land, depending on whether or not land owners strike a deal with Piedmont Lithium.
In2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave Piedmont Lithium the only federal approval it needs to mine.
Once the Piedmont Lithium’s Gaston County mine reaches its potential, it’s expected to be biggest open-pit mining operation of any kind in the area to date.
Piedmont Lithium has made several attempts to buy Hastings’ property from him since Leatherman and Arima launched the project.
Hastings wants $1 million for his 10-acre property. Over the years, Piedmont Lithium has come closer to making a deal, but Hastings said a deal has yet to be made.
“If they (Piedmont Lithium) comes on my property and they find what I think they might find, and I get royalties and everything from it, that’s going to help my son, his family and my granddaughter down the line.”
A Million sounds very cheap for 10 acres of Lithium Land..
(20min delay)