EMA Member Ioneer Receives Federal Approval for their Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project

Arlington, Va., October 25, 2025 – The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) announced today that member company Ioneer received their federal permit for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project from the Bureau of Land Management. The project will quadruple U.S. lithium output and create hundreds of jobs in rural Nevada.

“The U.S. desperately needs more domestic mineral production to meet current and future demand, so I am overly excited to see Ioneer receive federal approval to move this project into construction and production,” said Chris Greissing, EMA president. “The federal permitting process is not without it challenges, and the faster we can move projects like Rhyolite Ridge, into production, the better we position the United States to meet our own domestic mineral needs.”

The Rhyolite Ridge project, when completed, could supply enough lithium to power more than 370,000 American-made electric vehicles annually. Located in southern Nevada’s Silver Peak Range, the project will include significant protections for the local ecosystem, while providing engineering, construction, and science and technology employment opportunities for the local community and Tribal members. Construction is slated to begin in 2025, and first production is slated for 2028.

Ioneer’s commitment to sustainability is on display in its processing facility, which will recycle half of all water used. Once online, the company will continue to deploy new technologies to further reduce water consumption. Due to the deposit’s unique minerology, Ioneer is limiting its operational footprint by avoiding the use of evaporation ponds and lowering its carbon footprint with a steam-powered facility that operates independently from the Nevada energy grid.

Ioneer is a Future Producer Member of EMA and has received regulatory and congressional support from EMA as they worked toward final approval of their federal permit. Future Producer members are startup companies engaged in the exploration and development of mineral extraction and processing, but not yet producing minerals and generating revenues. EMA offers Future Producers full benefits of membership as they work through the financing and permitting process.

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The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) is the representative voice for companies that extract and process a vital and beneficial group of raw materials and minerals, which are the essential ingredients for many of the products used in everyday life. EMA ensures that the voices of its member companies and the socio-economic benefits they provide – from mining to end-use products – are heard by government leaders as well as the general public. Visit essentialminerals.org to learn more.