Element 25 has obtained the final go-ahead from regulatory bodies to proceed with the expansion of its fully owned Butcherbird Manganese Mine in Western Australia (WA).
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) in WA has granted the necessary Works Approval, enabling the company to increase production capacity to 1.1 million tonnes per annum of manganese concentrate.
This approval signifies a major milestone for Element 25, completing the suite of permissions required under Western Australia’s mining regulations.
Earlier this year, the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) had approved both the Mining Proposal and Mine Closure Plan. These approvals now allow construction to begin on the expanded processing facility at Butcherbird.
The feasibility study updated in January 2025 outlines a capital investment of A$64.8m ($40.7m). It projects a pre-tax net present value (NPV) of A$561m ($353m) and a pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR) at 96%.
Over an estimated mine life exceeding 18 years, the project is anticipated to generate an average cash flow of A$70.5m ($44.3m) annually.
Situated in the Pilbara region, Butcherbird is Element 25’s main manganese asset.
The company’s plans include developing a large-scale processing facility to supply manganese oxide concentrate to the steel industry. This concentrate will also feed into a high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) plant proposed for Louisiana, US, in collaboration with General Motors and Stellantis.
The US Department of Energy is backing this project with a $166m grant.
With regulatory approvals secured, Element 25 plans to finalise funding for the expansion of the Butcherbird Project. Existing arrangements from Stage 1 pilot operations will support further development, including agreements on water use and heritage clearances.
