The state government of Western Australia (WA) will extend a 2024 measure to waive fees to support two lithium hydroxide producers.
The A$30mn ($21.5mn) pledge to extend fee relief first introduced in 2024 will benefit major Chinese lithium producer Tianqi and Australia's Covalent Lithium until 31 December 2027, state mines minister David Michael said on 21 April, instead of the scheme's original expiry date at the end of this year.
A$5mn will also be allocated by WA to develop standards for the reuse of lithium by-product in construction materials, reducing disposal costs.
Tianqi commissioned a pilot operation at the phase 3 expansion project of its Talison Greenbushes spodumene mine in Australia in December 2025.
The phase 3 expansion increased total lithium concentrate capacity at Greenbushes, jointly owned with Australia's IGO and US specialty chemicals producer Albemarle, to 2.14mn t/yr from a previous 1.62mn t/yr.
Covalent, a 50:50 joint venture backed by Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers and Chilean lithium producer SQM, has capacity to produce 50,000 t/yr at its Kwinana refinery.
Kwinana, Australia's third lithium hydroxide refinery, began production in August last year.
