Infinity Lithium Corporation’s San José lithium project near the city of Cáceres in Spain has been given a boost after a local court ruling confirmed extraction activity and industrial development is allowed in key project areas.
The company says the Contentious Administrative Court of Cáceres has ratified the correct granting of an Investigation Permit Ampliación Valdeflórez, or “PIAV” to Infinity subsidiary Extremadura New Energies.
Infinity says the judgement has clarified that the General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres facilitates the utilisation of certain areas within PIAV in which the urban land classification allows “extraction activity” and the industrial development of the proposed lithium hydroxide conversion facility.
The decision has reinforced compliance under the General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres for Extremadura New Energies’ disturbance of the surface areas required for the decline portal within the PIAV area, adjacent to the resource area and undertake subsurface activities to access the lithium bearing deposit.
The San José project holds one of Europe's leading JORC-compliant hard-rock lithium deposits with a total indicated and inferred resource base of 111 million tonnes at 0.61 per cent lithium oxide.
To convert its enormous lithium stock into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, the business is also planning to construct a nearby lithium chemical conversion facility.
San José was originally intended to be an open pit mine, however after consultation with regional authorities the project has been redesigned as an underground mining operation with a nearby processing hub. Infinity says the underground deposit will be accessed through a tunnel at the beneficiation plant and will deliver no visual, audible or vibration-based effects to the people of Cáceres.
According to the company, the Court’s latest decision upholds the position of both Extremadura New Energies and the Industrial, Energy and Mining Management Service of the Regional Government of Extremadura.
However, the Court has also determined that other areas within an area adjacent to the PIAV do not allow for extractive activity and the disturbance of the surface based on land classification under the General Urban Development Plan of Cáceres.
Just last month the company announced its plans to submit a direct mining licence application for San José after a decision from the Contentious Administrative Court in Cáceres confirmed the termination of its Investigation Permit Valdeflorez that has provided clarity on the most suitable pathway to lodging a mining licence.
According to Infinity, it has planned for this scenario and its wholly-owned subsidiary Extremadura New Energies is now advancing the submission of a direct Exploitation Concession in accordance with its arrangements with local and regional government bodies.
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By Matt Birney
