Planning is well underway for the construction of a lithium-ion battery grade high purity manganese sulphate (HPMSM) processing facility at Burnside in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. A feasibility study returned strong financial results underpinned by competitive capital and operating cost estimates. At full production (2 trains), we anticipate a pre-tax average cashflow of US$155M per annum and an IRR of 29% pre-tax. The NPV pre-tax (real) at full production discount rate is US$1,662M. We are currently advancing engineering development, permitting, logistics and project financing via offtake and funding agreements for the project, which will be a first of its kind and will produce up to 135,000 tones per annum of HPMSM for US electric vehicle supply chains. The facility is in development in partnership with General Motors LLC and Stellantis N.V. Additionally, the plant will produce re-usable material in the form of a fertilizer feedstock, a ferro-silicon (FeSi) smelter feedstock suitable for use in steel production processes, and a gypsum by-product for industrial use. We will import manganese concentrate from the Butcherbird Mine in Western Australia. Our Louisiana location offers exceptional infrastructure, a deep local talent pool, low-cost energy, and proximity to local markets for the repurposing of by-product industrial materials to maximize circular resource use. We're proud to be producing HPMSM with an environmental impact significantly lower than incumbent producers to supply the rapidly growing electric vehicle supply chain in the United States.
