ioneer's Rhyolite Ridge project has secured key permits and financing, with first production now projected for 2028. Lithium prices have stabilized, supported by production cuts and strong EV growth in China, benefiting ioneer's long-term prospects. The DOE increased ioneer's loan to $996M, offsetting inflation-related construction costs.
The U.S. Department of Energy has finalized a $996 million loan for ioneer's Rhyolite Ridge lithium project, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, an increase of $296 million from a preliminary funding offer and a move aimed at boosting President Joe Biden's green energy legacy.
Environmental and Indigenous groups on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Interior Department's approval of ioneer's Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, the first domestic source of the battery metal to be permitted by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.
ioneer is a standout lithium stock in 2024, with a YTD increase of ~50%, outperforming the Global X Lithium and Battery Tech ETF, which has seen a pullback. Factors like the need for EV battery supply chain security in the US, its progress with permits, competitive costs and robust NPV work in its favour. While IONR can continue to see price fluctuations as a pre-production miner, at least until 2027, the likelihood of the stock trending broadly upwards is high.