Sarah Wells, Author at Piedmont Lithium

Tim McKenna

Investor & Government Relations

T: +1 732 331 6457

To view the full ASX Announcement, please click here.

Piedmont Completes Additional Testwork to Produce High Grade Spodumene and Byproduct Concentrates

May 7, 2021May 13, 2020 by Sarah Wells

120 kg of Dense Medium Separation (“DMS”) and flotation concentrates prepared for LiOH testwork
Byproduct quartz samples have received positive initial feedback from key potential customers
- Quartz samples meet solar glass customer specifications – additional samples requested
- Additional potential clients will receive byproduct quartz, feldspar and mica samples in Q2
Chemical plant Pre-Feasibility Study and updated integrated Scoping Study expected in May 2020
Lithium hydroxide bench scale testwork nearing conclusion with results expected in Q2 2020

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX:PLL; NASDAQ:PLL) (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has produced 120 kg of spodumene concentrate from core samples collected from the Company’s Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) . These samples have now been used in the bench-scale lithium hydroxide testwork program nearing completion at SGS laboratories in Lakefield, Ontario. Concentrate qualities and recoveries were consistent with earlier testwork programs.

Table 1: Results of Combined DMS + Locked Cycle Flotation Testwork Results
Product	Li₂O (%)	Fe₂O₃ (%)	Recovery (%)
Spodumene Concentrate	6.21	0.87	82.4

We are also pleased to announce production of additional larger-scale samples of quartz and feldspar concentrates as part of this testwork. Quartz samples prepared in SGS laboratories were delivered to potential solar glass customers and met customer quality expectations.

Confidential customer discussions are ongoing through the Company’s marketing partnership with Ion Carbon, a division of AMCI. Samples of quartz and feldspar concentrates will be delivered to other potential clients in the coming weeks. Mica samples will be produced in the coming weeks.

The updated spodumene concentrate and byproduct results will be used to support the Company’s study updates which will be announced later this month.

Table 2: Average of Results of Six Locked Cycle Byproduct Tests
	Li₂O	SiO₂	Al₂O₃	K₂O	Na₂O	CaO	MgO	MnO	P₂O₅	Fe₂O₃
Quartz Concentrate	0.02	99.0	0.32	0.04	0.11	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01
Feldspar Concentrate	0.12	68.0	19.35	2.45	9.30	0.17	0.04	0.01	0.15	0.05

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Our lithium hydroxide testwork program continues at SGS, and is based on the high-quality, low impurity spodumene concentrate prepared from a 1.75 tonne representative ore sample from Piedmont’s Core property. Byproduct testwork is also continuing, and after positive initial customer feedback we have received from prospective quartz customers, we are beginning to evaluate the opportunity to expand our planned byproduct production, potentially further lowering our spodumene concentrate costs.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200513005150/en/

Keith D. Phillips

President & CEO

T: +1 973 809 0505

Timothy McKenna

Investor and Government Relations

T: +1 732 331 6457

To view the full ASX Announcement, click here.

Piedmont Lithium – March 2020 Quarterly Report

May 7, 2021April 29, 2020 by Sarah Wells

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX:PLL; NASDAQ:PLL) (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to present its March 2020 quarterly report. Highlights during and subsequent to the quarter were:

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200429005180/en/

Piedmont Lithium’s Hydroxide Chemical Plant located in Kings Mountain, NC (Graphic: Business Wire)

Hatch continues to progress its work on the chemical plant pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) for the Company’s Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) in the United States and remains on track for delivery in Q2 2020. The chemical plant PFS will provide refined estimates of our capital and operating costs and should reinforce our position as a low-cost US-based producer of lithium hydroxide.
Lithium hydroxide testwork on samples of spodumene concentrate produced from the Project’s ore is progressing SGS laboratories in Canada. Work has been delayed due to impacts related to COVID-19, however the delay is not expected to impact our overall development timeline. The final process flowsheet has been determined samples will soon be ready for delivery to prospective customers.
Chemical plant permitting activities continue, with background studies to be used in the chemical plant permit applications proceeding on schedule. We plan to submit these permit applications shortly after completion of the chemical plant PFS and expect to receive these permits by the end of 2020.
Continued numerous preliminary off-take, financing and strategic conversations, including companies from the lithium, mining, chemicals, battery, automotive and private equity sectors.
Soil and rock chip sampling at the Project in North Carolina, United States, led to the discovery of five new spodumene-bearing pegmatites in areas that have not previously been explored.
Assays from the final 19 drill holes of the Phase 4 drilling program at the Project’s Central and Core properties intersected significant mineralization, including 36.0m @ 1.11% Li₂O and 44.9m @ 1.30% Li₂O in Hole 19-CT-19, 13.0m @ 1.28% Li₂O and 7.3m @ 1.37% Li₂O in Hole 19-CT-26, and 14.8m @ 1.55% Li₂O and 12.4m @ 1.02% Li₂O in Hole 19-BD-332.

Next steps:

Complete the chemical plant PFS and a fully integrated Scoping Study Update in Q2 2020.
Finalize the bench scale lithium hydroxide testwork program and produce initial product samples in Q2 2020.
Submit key chemical plant permit applications including a synthetic minor source air permit application.
Build out project construction and sales & marketing teams.
Continue offtake discussions for lithium hydroxide and by-product quartz, feldspar and mica.
Continue to evaluate strategic partnering options.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200429005180/en/

Keith D. Phillips | President & CEO

+1 973 809 0505

kphillips@piedmontlithium.com

A message from Piedmont Lithium’s CEO, Keith D. Phillips

May 7, 2021March 18, 2020 by Sarah Wells

NEW YORK –
Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; Nasdaq: PLL):

March 18, 2020

Dear Shareholders and Friends,

In this time of market volatility surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to provide a brief update on current activities at Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont”) as well as our plans going forward.

First and foremost, we are focused on the safety of our employees, consultants and advisors. Non-essential travel has been eliminated and in-person meetings have been curtailed given the social distancing that most groups are observing. As a development stage company, we often work remotely in the normal course, and we have formalized that approach for the time being with little impact on productivity.

Our current focus is on three areas, each of which is progressing well:

Lithium hydroxide testwork. Hydroxide testwork is nearing completion at SGS in Lakefield, Ontario. As reported on February 25, 2020, we have completed 9 of the 10 steps with positive results. The final crystallization steps are under way but will take longer than planned due to some remote working practices being implemented at the SGS laboratory. We do not expect this extended completion of testwork to have an impact on our other activities.
Chemical plant prefeasibility study. Hatch is progressing its work on the chemical plant pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) and remains on track for delivery in Q2 2020. The chemical plant PFS will provide refined estimates of our capital and operating costs and should reinforce our position as a low-cost US-based producer of lithium hydroxide.
Chemical plant permitting activities. Background studies to be used in the chemical plant permit applications are ongoing and proceeding on schedule. We still plan to submit these permit applications shortly after completion of the chemical plant PFS and expect to receive these permits during 2020.

Each of these three activities is of critical importance, and each is well advanced. Our plan remains to complete these three significant de-risking steps and then evaluate market conditions before accelerating toward completion of a definitive feasibility study.

We take great comfort in our strong financial position and will be prudent in maintaining that through this market dislocation. We completed a large equity financing in July 2019 with strong institutional support and have a very strong cash position (US$11.4 million / A$18.4 million at December 31, 2019), as well as a modest monthly cash burn rate.

I would like to make a final comment on lithium market dynamics. While uncertainly exists with respect to the duration of the current economic slowdown, it is increasingly clear that the future is bright for the lithium business, particularly in the United States. Some recent market developments are worth highlighting:

European electric vehicle (“EV”) sales were up strongly in February, including growth of +200% in the UK and France;
General Motors announced a $20 billion investment in electrification, including unveiling their Ultium batteries to be produced in joint venture with LG Chemical and expected to drive battery cell costs below $100/kWh;
Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar are all reported to be having difficulty securing battery supplies;
Progress continues on next generation batteries expected to contain substantially more lithium, particularly in the anode and electrolyte; and
Shutdowns associated with the coronavirus have made increasingly clear the merits of local supply sources. China currently produces roughly 80% of the world’s lithium hydroxide, highlighting the strategic advantage of our unique location in the USA’s ‘auto alley’.

In short, the future of Piedmont is bright and we anticipate positive developments in coming weeks and months. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at kphillips@piedmontlithium.com if you would like to learn more. In the interim, stay safe!

Yours sincerely,

Keith D. Phillips

President & CEO

About Piedmont Lithium

Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; Nasdaq: PLL) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1980s. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location for development of an integrated lithium business based on its favorable geology, spodumene-only mineralogy, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centers for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centers and downstream lithium processing facilities.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Piedmont’s expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Piedmont, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Piedmont makes no undertaking to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this announcement, to reflect the circumstances or events after the date of that announcement.

This announcement has been authorized for release by Piedmont’s President & CEO, Keith D. Phillips.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200318005105/en/

For further information:

Keith D. Phillips

President & CEO

T: +1 973 809 0505

Timothy McKenna

Investor and Government Relations

T: +1 732 331 6457

Hydroxide Testwork Program Proceeding Favorably

May 7, 2021February 26, 2020 by Sarah Wells

Lithium hydroxide testwork at SGS Lakefield is on schedule and proceeding well
Delivery of hydroxide samples to prospective offtake partners will commence upon program completion
Optimized flowsheet to underpin Chemical Plant PFS targeted for Q2 2020

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on the metallurgical testwork program underway at SGS Labs (“SGS”) in Lakefield, Ontario. The Company remains on schedule to announce results of this bench-scale program and to produce lithium hydroxide (“LiOH”) samples for delivery to prospective offtake partners in advance of PFS completion. The optimized flowsheet developed during this testwork will serve as the basis of the Chemical plant prefeasibility study (“PFS”) to be completed in Q2 2020.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200226005181/en/

Spodumene calcination and roasting (from left to right) – (top) pilot kiln, calcined product, milled beta spodumene (bottom) beta spodumene after mixing, beta spodumene after roasting (Photo: Business Wire)

SGS is advancing a lithium conversion testwork program using a ‘direct-to-hydroxide’ approach developed in collaboration with Piedmont Lithium personnel and engineering consultants Hatch and Primero Group. Piedmont previously announced outstanding PFS-level metallurgical results for the production of spodumene concentrate (see press release dated July 16, 2019). The concentrate produced during that program and other spodumene concentrate produced from the same composite sample is now being used by SGS for the ongoing bench-scale lithium hydroxide testwork.

Optimization tests on bench scale samples have been completed for calcination, roasting, water leach, primary and secondary impurity removal, and filtration. Ion exchange tests have been completed. Work completed to date represents approximately 90% of the steps in the bench scale testwork program, with multi-stage lithium hydroxide crystallization and final assay results expected in coming weeks.

Following production of initial samples, the Company will undertake additional conversion tests using optimized test conditions to demonstrate repeatability of product quality and confirm flowsheet design.

Upon completion of the testwork program the Company will be in a position to share lithium hydroxide samples with prospective offtake partners. Our dialogues with prospective customers have been advancing well, and these samples will provide the first opportunity for customers to assess the quality of the material we expect to produce.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are very encouraged by the positive results generated thus far in the lithium hydroxide testwork program, and expect the final results to be announced in the near future. The optimization tests performed by SGS will allow us to refine the proposed Chemical Plant flowsheet and will underpin the prefeasibility study targeted for completion in Q2 2020. Completion of the PFS, along with continued advances on the permitting and offtake fronts, position us to advance our Project to shovel-ready status by the end of the year, well-timed for the recovery in lithium prices and market sentiment that many observers are forecasting for the remainder of this year.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200226005181/en/

For further information:

Keith D. Phillips

President & CEO

T: +1 973 809 0505

Timothy McKenna

Investor and Government Relations

T: +1 732 331 6457

Piedmont Lithium December 2019 Quarterly Report

May 7, 2021January 30, 2020 by Sarah Wells

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; NASDAQ: PLL) (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to present its December 2019 quarterly report. Highlights during and subsequent to the quarter were:

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005206/en/

Figure 1: Piedmont Lithium Project located within the TSB (Photo: Business Wire)

Completed federal permitting required to develop the proposed mine and concentrator at the Company’s Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) in North Carolina, United States, following receipt of a Clean Water Act Section 404 Standard Individual Permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”);
Appointed Hatch to deliver a pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) for the Company’s proposed lithium hydroxide chemical plant in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, United States. Hatch is a global leader in the development of lithium conversion projects and will utilize its experienced lithium staff to complete the PFS by mid-2020. Primero and Marshall Miller are continuing their work on the proposed mine and concentrator at the Project;
In response to strong interest from prospective lithium hydroxide customers, the Company is accelerating the development of its lithium chemical plant by compressing its project timeline into a single-stage, effectively accelerating chemical plant development by one year while deferring the mine and concentrator construction start date by one year, resulting in integrated operations from day one;
Completed the Company’s Phase 4 drill program, which comprised 113 holes for a total of 18,393 meters. The Phase 4 drill program was successful in expanding the Project’s mine life from 13 to 25 years (as reported in the expanded Scoping Study published in August 2019);
Assays from the final 19 drill holes of the Phase 4 drilling program at our Central and Core properties intersected significant mineralization, including 36.0m @ 1.11% Li2O and 44.9m @ 1.30% Li2O in Hole 19-CT-19, 13.0m @ 1.28% Li2O and 7.3m @ 1.37% Li2O in Hole 19-CT-26, and 14.8m @ 1.55% Li2O and 12.4m @ 1.02% Li2O in Hole 19-BD-332;
Soil and rock chip sampling led to the discovery of five new spodumene-bearing pegmatites in areas that have not previously been explored;
Commenced permitting for the proposed lithium hydroxide chemical plant;
Entered into a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) with Ion Carbon & Minerals, LLC (“Ion”) to partner to market the quartz, feldspar, and mica produced at the Project. Ion is wholly owned by the AMCI Group, a leading specialist natural resources investor and marketer with a long-standing track record of success across a broad range of commodities; and
Continued numerous preliminary off-take, financing and strategic conversations, including companies from the lithium, mining, chemicals, battery, automotive and private equity sectors.
Mr Anastasios (Taso) Arima will step down as Executive Director of the Company, effective from January 31, 2020, to focus on his other business interests. Mr Arima will remain as a Non-Executive Director of the Company.

Next steps:

Complete the PFS for the chemical plant in Q2 2020;
Finalize the bench scale lithium hydroxide testwork program and produce initial product samples;
Continue offtake discussions for lithium hydroxide with participants in the global battery supply chain; and
Continue to evaluate strategic partnering options.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005206/en/

Keith D. Phillips | President & CEO

T: +1 973 809 0505

Piedmont Reports New Spodumene Pegmatite Discoveries and Final Phase 4 Drill Results

May 7, 2021January 28, 2020 by Sarah Wells

Piedmont has completed the final 19 drill holes of its Phase 4 drilling program, comprising 12 holes at our Central property and 7 holes at our Core property
10 of the 12 holes drilled on the Central property intersected significant mineralization, including:
- 36.0m @ 1.11% Li₂O from 15m and 44.9m @ 1.30% Li₂O from 72m in Hole 19-CT-19
- 13.0m @ 1.28% Li₂O from 169m and 7.3m @ 1.37% Li₂O from 203m in Hole 19-CT-26
6 of the 7 holes drilled on the Core property intersected significant mineralization, including:
- 14.8m @ 1.55% Li₂O from 81m and 12.4m @ 1.02% Li₂O from 35m in Hole 19-BD-332
- 12.3m @ 1.55% Li₂O from 69m, including 5.1m @ 2.13% Li₂O from 76m in Hole 19-BD-333
Soil and rock chip sampling have led to the discovery of five new spodumene-bearing pegmatites
Recent x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis continues to confirm “spodumene-only” lithium mineralogy

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce drill results for the final 19 drill holes of the Phase 4 drill campaign completed on the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) in North Carolina, USA (Figure 2). The drill results are from the Central and Core properties. Significant mineralization was encountered in 17 of the 19 holes reported.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200128005187/en/

Figure 1 – TSB Map showing Piedmont MRE, New Pegmatite Discoveries, and Historical Mines and Data (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Phase 4 program comprised a total of 113 drill holes for 18,393 meters on both the Core and Central properties. 12 holes for 1,834 meters have been completed on the Central property (Figure 3) since an initial Mineral Resource estimate (“MRE”) was announced in April 2019. 7 holes totaling 820 meters have been completed at Core property (Figure 4) since announcing an updated MRE in June 2019. At both properties, the drilling was predominantly focused on Exploration Target areas.

These drill results continue to expand the extent of mineralization on both properties. At Central, mineralization has been extended laterally, to the southwest, and down dip. At the Core property, 5 of the 7 holes confirmed a significant new flat lying pegmatite in the southwest portion of the property.

Additionally, Piedmont has undertaken soil sampling over the past year which has proved to be a valuable exploration tool within the TSB. This year’s soil sampling program followed by rock chip sampling has led to the discovery of five new spodumene-bearing pegmatites on Piedmont exploration properties.

The regional data continues to highlight the overall size and continuity of the Carolina TSB and its importance as a domestic source for the critical element, lithium. Figure 1 shows a 25-mile portion of the Carolina TSB which hosts two historic mines, Piedmonts Lithium’s MRE, USGS Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS) spodumene/lithium occurrences and other areas of confirmed spodumene mineralization documented by Piedmont Lithium’s activities and regional mapping. After 70 years of history, the belt still has enormous exploration potential to add additional lithium resources.

Finally, recent XRD analysis from two composite samples, one from Core and one from Central, continue to identify spodumene as the only lithium bearing mineral identified.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are excited by the continued positive news on the exploration front. In 2019 we increased our Mineral Resource Estimate from 16.2Mt @ 1.12% to 27.9Mt @ 1.11%, and we believe there is significant potential for further increases. The Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt is one of the world’s largest spodumene occurrences, and as we continue to build our land package and have exploration success, the potential for mine life extension or throughput expansion will be an important area of focus.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200128005187/en/

For further information, please contact:

Keith D. Phillips

President & CEO

T: +1 973 809 0505

Anastasios (Taso) Arima

Executive Director

T: +1 347 899 1522

E: tarima@piedmontlithium.com

Piedmont Reports New Spodumene Pegmatite Discoveries and Final Phase 4 Drill Results

May 7, 2021January 27, 2020 by Sarah Wells

Piedmont Reports New Spodumene Pegmatite Discoveries and Final Phase 4 Drill Results

Hatch Appointed to Deliver PFS for Piedmont’s Lithium Hydroxide Project in North Carolina

May 7, 2021December 4, 2019 by Sarah Wells

Hatch will utilize its experienced lithium staff to complete the PFS within Q2 2020
Primero and Marshall Miller continuing their work on Piedmont’s mine/concentrator
Piedmont affirms its integrated strategy with DFS expected in Q4 2020

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has awarded the prefeasibility study (“PFS“) of its lithium hydroxide chemical plant in Kings Mountain, North Carolina to Hatch. Hatch is a global leader in the development of lithium conversion projects with notable experience including the full EPCM delivery of the Galaxy/Tianqi (Jiangsu) lithium conversion plant in China, the current detailed design engineering for two other spodumene to hydroxide plants, and of one brine conversion plant, in varied locations. Hatch has also studied lithium chemical projects for Mineral Resources (Australia), Kidman/Covalent (Australia), Desert Lion (Namibia), Savannah Resources (Portugal), among many others.

Rob Fraser, Hatch’s Global Lead – Hydrometallurgy, commented: “Piedmont Lithium is advancing a conventional lithium hydroxide project in an enviable location. Hatch is fortunate to have been involved in many of the world’s most prominent lithium processing projects. We look forward to helping Piedmont on this exciting project. This will be an important project for Hatch, and we have assembled a strong and highly experienced team to complete the PFS.”

Bench-scale lithium hydroxide conversion testwork is ongoing at SGS Labs in Lakefield, Ontario. Results are expected in Q1 2020 and will be incorporated into the PFS due in Q2 2020. Upon successful completion of the PFS study the Company will proceed with an integrated definitive feasibility study (“DFS“) for both the mine/concentrator and lithium hydroxide plant. Primero Group will continue to work on engineering studies related to the spodumene concentrator, and Marshall Miller & Associates will provide ongoing mine planning services. The Company affirms its commitment to complete a DFS for the integrated Piedmont Lithium project by the end of 2020.

Discussions with potential strategic and offtake partners will continue through 2020 as the Company aligns itself with customers focused on developing the electric vehicle supply chains in the United States and Europe.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are very pleased to be working with Hatch on the PFS for our lithium hydroxide project. Hatch has unsurpassed lithium processing experience, having studied directly comparable projects for several clients. Having recently received a landmark permit for our mine/concentrator we are moving full-speed ahead to having a shovel-ready project by the end of 2020.”

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Company’s President & CEO, Keith D. Phillips.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191204005191/en/

Keith D. Phillips | President & CEO

T: +1 973 809 0505
E: kphillips@piedmontlithium.com

Anastasios (Taso) Arima |Executive Director

T: +1 347 899 1522

E: tarima@piedmontlithium.com

Piedmont Lithium Receives Federal Permit to Develop Mine

May 7, 2021November 26, 2019 by Sarah Wells

A Section 404 Permit has been issued to Piedmont Lithium by the US Army Corps of Engineers
The Permit was issued 11 months after application and within the Company’s announced timetable
The 404 Permit is the only federal permit required for the development of the Piedmont Lithium Mine
Piedmont is accelerating its integrated lithium hydroxide strategy with DFS expected in Q4 2020

NEW YORK – Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has received a Clean Water Act (“CWA“) Section 404 Standard Individual Permit (“Section 404 Permit”) from the US Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE“) for the Company’s 100% owned Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project“) in North Carolina, USA. The USACE completed an Environmental Assessment (“EA”) of the Project in conjunction with six other state and federal agencies based on Piedmont’s December 2018 permit application and the Company’s responses to agency and public comments. The EA resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Project. The Section 404 Permit is the only federal permit required for the proposed mine and concentrator.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191126005202/en/

Piedmont Lithium and HDR receiving final permit authorization from USACE (Photo: Business Wire)

The Company has also received a CWA Section 401 Individual Water Quality Certification from the North Carolina Division of Water Resources. HDR Engineering’s Charlotte Office acted as lead consultant in the preparation of both permit applications.

The 404 and 401 permit approvals were achieved on the Company’s planned permit timeline originally announced in April 2018 and represent a major milestone in the development of the Project.

Piedmont will now accelerate development activities for the integrated lithium chemical business and the Company expects to complete a preliminary feasibility study (“PFS”) for its lithium hydroxide plant in Q2 2020 and a definitive feasibility study (“DFS“) for the Company’s integrated project by the end of 2020.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Securing a Section 404 Individual Permit is a major milestone for any natural resource project in the United States, and we are very pleased to have received this authorization. I want to thank our team members and advisors who have worked so diligently and cooperatively throughout this rigorous process, and also express our thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers for the highly professional manner in which they have approached this Project from day one. We will now move forward with the permitting of our chemical plant operations during 2020. Our project is unique in being the only spodumene-to-hydroxide project in the United States, and now also stands out as the most advanced American lithium project from a permitting perspective. We are very excited about the important milestones ahead of us as we look to deliver a DFS for a fully permitted integrated project by the end of 2020.”