Element 25 Nears Construction for Butcherbird Manganese Project in Western Australia with Key Equipment and Funding Secured
Element 25 is moving closer to project construction at its Butcherbird manganese project following the completion of key financing steps and long-lead procurement.
The company has secured core equipment for the expanded flowsheet, including primary and secondary mineral sizers from MMD and a 600 t/h logwasher from KISA, which is ready for transport to site.
The mining services tender is nearing completion, with a shortlist finalized and final assessments under way.
Funding Framework Taking Shape
In June 2025, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) approved a A$50-million senior debt package for Butcherbird, comprising A$42.5 million in senior debt and a A$7.5-million cost-overrun facility.
Element 25 also raised A$10 million through a placement at A$0.28 per share to support early engineering and long-lead procurement.
Negotiations are ongoing with multiple parties to secure the balance of construction funding.
Project Overview
The BBX feasibility study, released in January 2025, confirmed a 1.1-million-tonne-per-year production target. Updated resource and reserve estimates support an 18-year mine life, with the Butcherbird ore reserve doubling to 101.4 million tonnes at 10.4% manganese.
Element 25 plans to supply both the steel market and feedstock for its planned high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) plant in Louisiana, USA.
Discussions with potential offtake partners are well advanced, driven by Butcherbird’s high silica content, low deleterious elements, and strong physical competency, highly sought after by silico-manganese smelters.
Logistics and Operations
Logistics partner REGROUP is finalizing an expanded haulage agreement to support increased production, with optimization of road transport and export schedules in progress. Product will continue to ship through Utah Point facility at Port Hedland.
Element 25 is also advancing core operating and business intelligence systems to enable pit-to-port optimization and real-time decision-making across the long-life operation.
Permitting and Construction Milestones
The Butcherbird expansion is fully permitted under Western Australia’s regulatory framework. Updated mining and closure plans, along with works approval for the expanded plant, were finalized in late 2024 and early 2025.
Tailings capacity for the first six years of the expansion is already in place.
The project schedule continues to be refined as engineering progresses and commercial agreements are finalized, with financial close, procurement, and construction contracting flagged as key upcoming milestones.
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