Australia’s critical minerals industry reached a new milestone on July 10, with Liontown’s Kathleen Valley lithium operation officially opening its doors in Western Australia.
Situated roughly 680 kilometres north-east of Perth, the Kathleen Valley site boasts a substantial mineral resource of 156 million tonnes.
The launch event, which followed the start of underground mining at the site, was attended by senior government officials, including Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King and WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael, who joined Liontown’s leadership team, and Traditional Owners for the ceremony.
A commemorative plaque was unveiled during the event to mark the formal opening of the site – which is also the country’s first underground lithium mine.
Liontown’s journey from discovery to production at Kathleen Valley has taken six years, a pace that significantly outstrips the global average of more than 15 years for similar projects according to the company.
The operation will begin at an initial production rate of 2.8 million tonnes per annum, with infrastructure already in place to support a future expansion to 4Mtpa.
In addition to its mining significance, Kathleen Valley is home to one of the largest standalone hybrid renewable power systems in the country, which King said highlighted the project’s commitment to low-emissions production as demand for battery minerals continues to grow.
“The road to net zero is built through Australia’s resources and the Kathleen Valley operation is a perfect example of that,” she said..
“[It] is also setting benchmarks in sustainable mining with renewable energy meeting 80 per cent of the mine’s energy needs.”
Liontown has signed offtake agreements with some of the world’s leading electric vehicle and battery manufacturers including Tesla, Ford, LG Energy Solution and Beijing Sinomine – with these deals securing demand for most of the project’s initial production.
The company has also received a $15 million interest-free loan through the WA Government’s $150 million Lithium Industry Support Program to support ongoing operations at the Kathleen Valley lithium project.
Liontown managing director and chief executive officer Tony Ottaviano said the operation’s role in supporting energy transition is just getting underway.
“[The launch] is an important milestone, but when it comes to realising the full value of Kathleen Valley, we are only getting started,” Ottaviano said.
