Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA,NASDAQ:NVA) announced it has secured the final permits for its Alaska antimony project within about three months of applying, clearing the way for construction of the US Department of War-funded project ahead of targeted production in 2027.
The company said the Alaska Department of Natural Resources approved the project’s plan of operations and reclamation plan, authorizing construction and operating activities for an initial three-year term.
The permits cover all three stages of the operation: stibnite mining at the Styx and Stibium prospects, ore sorting and processing at the Whiskey Bravo concentration site within Nova’s Estelle project, and downstream processing and refining at Port MacKenzie.
A US$43.4 million Department of War award fully funds the first phase. Nova has finished metallurgical test work and process plant engineering, with the resulting flowsheet designed to produce military-grade antimony trisulfide and standard grade II antimony metal with more than 99.65 percent antimony content.
The company also says all major long-lead and critical mining and processing equipment has reached its project sites.
“With these key milestones achieved, our focus is now on execution,” CEO Christopher Gerteisen said in the announcement.
In August, Nova shipped almost 500 tons of crushing, ore sorting, milling, flotation and refining equipment from Seattle to Port MacKenzie by barge, in more than 40 containers plus multiple oversized loads.
The equipment came from a recently decommissioned modern processing facility the company acquired in North America, along with other equipment from across the continent.
“A key part of our strategy has been to acquire existing, modern processing equipment and mobilize it to Alaska, rather than build new equipment from scratch,” Gerteisen said at the time.
The Port MacKenzie plant will first process stibnite-bearing material into antimony trisulfide for the Department of War project.
Nova designed it as a modular facility that can expand into other refined products, including antimony metal and trioxide. The site has access to deepwater port infrastructure, the Port MacKenzie rail spur and the proposed West Susitna Access Road.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.