The Mt Holland lithium mine and concentrator project, delivered through a joint venture between Covalent Lithium, Wesfarmers and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM), has officially opened.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, Treasurer Rita Saffioti and Minister for Mines and Petroleum, David Michael, were onsite to celebrate the occasion on the Kalamaia Kalarku Kaprun people’s Country of the Marlinyu and Ghoorlie trees.
The Mt Holland lithium project consists of an open-cut mine and concentrator, located 110km southeast of Southern Cross in the Wheatbelt region, and a refinery currently being constructed in the Kwinana Industrial Area.
The State Government has played a key role in enabling this project by working with the joint venture partners to fund and deliver the Moorine Rock to Mt Holland road. This $60 million commitment has improved road safety and freight efficiency, supporting the future growth of the mine.
With an expected cost of $2.6 billion, the project is supporting 1,000 jobs during construction and will support 350 jobs during operations.
Mt Holland will produce 380,000t of spodumene concentrate per year, which will be refined into 50,000t of battery-quality lithium hydroxide. This is enough to power around one million electric vehicles.
The Kwinana refinery is expected to deliver its first lithium hydroxide in early 2025.
Mt Holland mined its first ore in December 2022, and began crushing in May 2023. The concentrator was successfully commissioned in the second half of 2023 and is now in the ramp-up phase.
Premier Cook extended congratulations to Covalent Lithium, Wesfarmers and SQM on the opening of the Mt Holland mine and soon-to-be-completed refinery in Kwinana.
“This multi-billion-dollar investment in Western Australia will support hundreds of jobs and deliver a significant boost to our value-added industry,” Mr Cook said.
“Western Australia is powering the global shift to net zero, and today’s opening is a vote of confidence in the long-term future of our battery and critical minerals industries – diversifying our economy and creating local jobs for the future.”
Ms Saffioti said that the government continues to back projects that create local jobs, strengthen the state’s economy and set up Western Australia’s long-term future.
“Our $60 million commitment to support the Moorine Rock to Mt Holland road upgrades has been essential to getting this project off the ground,” Ms Saffioti said.
“Western Australia has hit a number of milestones as we progress towards becoming a global battery materials manufacturing hub, and this investment in lithium hydroxide will further support these earlier successes.
“It’s great to see the refinery set up in the Kwinana Industrial Area, which has excellent road, rail, port and energy connections.”
Mr Michael said that Western Australia remains a globally significant battery and critical minerals processing hub and the State Government is working hard to further capitalise on this opportunity.
“Lithium became Western Australia’s second most valuable mineral in 2022-23, with sales of $20 billion and royalties of $930 million,” Mr Michael said.
“This impressive increase in production has seen Western Australia consolidate its position as the largest global producer of lithium, a rank we have held since passing Chile in 2012.”
