Well, there is no mining permit yet, so they are correct. INF...

Well, there is no mining permit yet, so they are correct. INF are in the process of lodging that. Local opposition is in the minority of less than 20% according to a poll I saw some time back and that was for an open cut mine too. I'd imagine it would be even lower for an underground mine. INF is bending over backwards to keep them happy but some of these people will never be happy as is the case with most things in life. The area has severe youth unemployment which results in a mass migration from the area of its youth to find good labour. This is probably the greenest proposed lithium mining project on Earth at this stage and if Spain can't take that on, it doesn't bode well at all for any future projects. I remember a story where the opposition was going to put a statue of Buddha on the mountain or something crazy like that. Anyhow, in regard to the recent announcement (my comments in italic), important points highlighted.....

'Infinity Lithium Corporation Limited (‘Infinity’, or ‘the Company’, through wholly owned subsidiary Extremadura New Energies, welcomes the ruling 00008/2023 of the Contentious Administrative Court of Cáceres (‘CAC’, or ‘the Court’ ratifying the correct granting of Investigation Permit Ampliación Valdeflórez (‘PIAV’. The Court’s decision upholds the position of both Extremadura New Energies and the Industrial, Energy and Mining Management Service of the Regional Government of Extremadura.

The Court’s judgement has clarified the General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres facilitates the utilisation of certain areas within PIAV in which the urban land classification allows “extraction activity” and the industrial development of the proposed lithium hydroxide conversion facility.

Court says that that surface disturbance/digging can take place in certain areas within PIAV

The Court has recently determined other areas within an adjacent area to the PIAV do not allow for extractive activity and the disturbance of the surface based on land classification under the General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres (see ASX announcement 22 December 2022).

Court says that other areas adjacent to the PIAV do not allow for digging

The decision has reinforced compliance under General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres for Extremadura New Energies’ disturbance of the surface areas required for the decline portal within the PIAV area, adjacent to the resource area, and undertake subsurface activities to access the lithium bearing deposit (subject to environmental and mining licences being granted following the assessment of the Exploitation Concession Application).

This allows the company to build an entry ramp decline into the underground mine to access the ore Note that the PIAV area is shown in green below,


The Company will now further advance its submission for the lodgement of a direct Exploitation Concession Application (see ASX announcement 22 December 2022).

INF will now submit direct Exploitation Concession Application.

The CEO of Extremadura New Energies, Ramón Jiménez, stressed that "the decision of the Cáceres court ratifies the urban planning compatibility of the work in the Valdeflórez expansion area and supports the option chosen for the exploitation concession application". The lodgement of the direct Exploitation Concession Application would be facilitated through the Exploration Permit Application Extremadura S.E. The area under the Exploration Permit Application Extremadura S.E includes the total area of PIAV and other areas with the same General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres classification.

The INF submission will ensure that surface disturbance would only be in areas what are allowed for as dictated by the Cáceres Urban rules.

Extremadura New Energies has lodged the Exploration Permit Application Extremadura S.E. application. Refer to Appendix 1 for the aerial representation of the areas contained within PIAV and Exploration Permit Application Extremadura S.E. The Company initiated the submission of an Exploitation Concession application through the lodgement of the ‘Initial Document’ (see ASX announcement 3 October 2022). The Regional Government of Extremadura commenced the consultation process with the different relevant parties including the City Council of Cáceres on 20 December 2022, and these relevant parties has, according to the Spanish law, a 30 working days period to issue their comments.

INF submitted an 'initial document' of the Exploitation Concession application and waiting on response. Should get a response soon.

The Company is awaiting the final presentation of the Initial Document following this process to provide the framework for the submission of the San José Lithium Project (‘San José’, or ‘the Project’ Exploitation Concession Application in alignment with Extremadura Lithium Decree Law. San José fully complies with the decree law to exploit and process lithium in the region of Extremadura. For further details refer to ASX announcement 3 October 2022