Nova Minerals' Alaska Antimony Project Receives Final Permit

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 27, Nova Minerals' antimony mining development project in the U.S. state of Alaska received final regulatory approval. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources formally approved the project's operating plan and mine reclamation plan, with the permit initially valid for 3 years, covering ore mining, beneficiation, and downstream refining. Phase I of the project has received USD 43.4 million in funding support from the U.S. Department of Defense, major mining and processing equipment has arrived at the relevant sites, and the developer plans to commence antimony product production in 2027.

This approval covers the complete engineering chain from ore mining to refining. The Styx and Stibium deposits within the Estelle gold and critical minerals project will undertake stibnite mining operations, the Whiskey Bravo beneficiation site will handle ore sorting and intermediate processing, and the downstream facility at Port MacKenzie, Alaska, will handle further processing and refining. The regulatory authorities approved the corresponding construction and operating activities, and the project permitting process took approximately 3 months.

The engineering design and metallurgical testing of the processing facilities have been completed. The process will produce military-grade antimony trisulfide and has a design target of producing secondary-standard antimony metal with an antimony content exceeding 99.65%. Antimony-bearing ore mined from the Styx and Stibium deposits will be sorted and concentrated through the Whiskey Bravo processing system before entering the Port MacKenzie processing and refining stage. This production process corresponds to the Phase I development scope approved in this instance.

The major long-lead mining and processing equipment required for the Phase I project has been procured and delivered to the project site, covering front-end ore handling and back-end beneficiation and refining systems. The USD 43.4 million in funding was obtained by Nova Minerals' U.S. operations to advance stibnite mining, concentrate processing, and military-grade antimony trisulfide production. With the final permit secured, the project's next phase shifts to site construction and implementation of related facilities, with the first batch of antimony products planned for output in 2027.