General Motors (GM) has entered into an agreement with Australian materials company Element 25 to secure a supply of up to 32,500 metric tons of high-grade manganese sulphate annually over a period of seven years. The manganese sulphate will be sourced from Element 25’s Butcherbird mine in Western Australia. In return, GM will provide Element 25 with an $85 million loan to partially fund the construction of a new facility in Louisiana. This facility, the first of its kind in the United States, will process manganese concentrate from Element 25’s Australian mining operations and produce battery-grade manganese sulphate. Construction of the 230,000 square-foot facility is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023, with operations to commence by 2025.
Along with its joint venture partners, GM is investing in the installation of…