Ioneer shares breakthrough in testwork poised to reduce costs by improving acid and reagent efficiency

Ioneer (NASDAQ:IONR) today announced a major advancement in testwork for its 100%-owned Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, USA.

The company has achieved a breakthrough in sulphuric acid and reagent efficiency that is projected to significantly increase lithium and boron production while optimizing resource utilization.

The recent testwork has successfully demonstrated a 7-14% increase in the production of lithium carbonate and boric acid for each tonne of sulphuric acid consumed.

This improvement stems from a roughly 30% reduction in leach time.

Consequently, the overall vat processing cycle is expected to decrease from seven days to approximately six days.

This shortened cycle allows for an anticipated 8-16% increase in run-of-mine (ROM) ore throughput compared to the current Stage 1 design.

This development is particularly timely as Ioneer advances towards a Final Investment Decision for the Rhyolite Ridge Project.

Reagents, including sulphur (for sulphuric acid production), lime (for impurity removal), and soda ash (for lithium carbonate formation), along with transportation, constitute more than half of the project's anticipated operating costs.

The achieved efficiencies are therefore expected to have a positive impact on the project's overall economics.