The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council has announced that the South West Arkansas Project has completed the federal permitting. Here’s what that means.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Wednesday, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) announced that the South West Arkansas (SWA) Project has now completed the federal permitting process.
This mining infrastructure project hopes to produce 22,500 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate each year.
The project is located in southern Arkansas near the Texas and Louisiana borders, and is a joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor.
“The Natural State is primed to support our nation’s critical mineral needs, and completing FAST-41 permitting represents significant progress toward full-scale lithium production at the South West Arkansas Project,” said Senator John Boozman (R-AR). “I am pleased the Trump administration prioritized an efficient, transparent federal review that delivers much-needed certainty, helps unlock tremendous economic opportunity regionally and beyond, and advances a key national security objective to counter our reliance on foreign adversaries.”
Officials also said that they anticipate a 20-year operating life for the brine mining, with commercial production expected in 2029.
“We appreciate the Administration’s commitment to streamlined, predictable permitting that enables the timely development of projects critical to our national and economic security,” said David Park, CEO & Director, Standard Lithium. “The U.S. cannot compete globally unless important national projects like the South West Arkansas project can be built in a timely manner. The U.S. produces just 1% of the world’s lithium, and the South West Arkansas Project is poised to increase domestic production of battery-grade lithium chemicals by 4x. FAST-41 helped make this progress possible, and that matters not just for Arkansas, but for America’s ability to compete and lead on critical minerals. We are grateful to the Permitting Council for their partnership and engagement throughout this process.”
According to Rep. Bruce Westerman, with the lithium deposits found in the Fourth District, that means the Natural State is well-positioned to contribute greatly to unlocking our nation’s domestic energy potential.
He emphasized how the project invests in that potential by reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains and by driving regional growth through employment opportunities and infrastructure investment.
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