Element 25 recently signed a binding term sheet with Veolia North America to secure a site for its planned high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate refinery in Louisiana.
The site, a 35 acre parcel in Burnside, Ascension Parish, is next to a Veolia-operated sulphuric acid production facility. The agreement includes terms for E25 to acquire the land, and to establish essential utility and service agreements, including a long-term sulphuric acid supply from Veolia.
Managing director Justin Brown said: “E25 aims to be a leading source of high quality, vertically integrated, traceable and ESG and IRA-compliant battery material to the global electric vehicle industry. Construction of our HPMSM facility in the USA – the first of its kind there – requires a project site with the necessary services and utilities and access to sulphuric acid as a key reagent, to allow the Project to proceed.”
Securing a project site is a significant milestone in the company’s agreement with General Motors, one of their partners in the HPMSM project. GM has committed $85M in senior secured debt funding to the Burnside project. GM’s investment is in parallel to the investment by their second offtake and funding partner Stellantis N.V.