Ioneer and Empire Southwest, the Caterpillar dealer for Arizona, Nevada and parts of eastern California, have signed a master service agreement for sales, services, goods, technology, and equipment rental that will help to advance the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada.
Rhyolite Ridge, located in Esmeralda County, Nev., is the largest undeveloped lithium-boron ore reserve in the world outside of Turkey, and is poised to play a vital part in processing both critical materials on-site for domestic re-shoring.
The announcement follows Ioneer’s previous reveal that it cut a key component of ore processing time in half while increasing annual lithium and boron chemical production by 30% and 15%, respectively, during the first 25 years of operations.
Construction at Rhyolite Ridge is slated to begin in 2026, with commercial operations commencing in 2029.
Matt Weaver, Ioneer senior vice president of Engineering and Operations, noted that the partnership gives his company both added support and expertise to help drive U.S. mining innovation, sustainability, and the secure production of lithium and boron.
“Rhyolite Ridge is a multigenerational deposit and we anticipate this being a multigenerational partnership,” he added.
Dan Harms, vice president of Mining at Empire Southwest, added: “This partnership underscores Empire’s commitment to supporting innovative projects that drive progress, create jobs, and deliver long-term value to our industry and communities.”
Ioneer is the 100% owner of the Rhyolite Ridge project, which closed a $996 million loan with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Dominance Finance Program in January 2025. Ioneer received the permit from the Bureau of Land Management for the complex in October 2024.
Source: Ioneer