A development agreement has been signed between a Nevada county and North America’s largest lithium-boron project to bring the mine one step closer to operation.

Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project owners Ioneer Limited on Monday announced a development agreement with Esmeralda County that will provide funding for public services and infrastructure for the county and “establishes a framework for continued collaboration.”

An estimated $5 million to $7 million will be provided in county benefits, along with an additional $10 million in road upgrades through construction via the agreement. The agreement was approved by Esmeralda County officials on April 2 and will become fully effective after statutory procedures are completed.

Located in Esmeralda County, Rhyolite Ridge, the largest known lithium and boron deposit in North America, is expected to be under construction this year and take 36 months, with first production starting in 2028. The mine is expected to create around 500 construction jobs, 350 jobs during the mine’s life cycle and “tens of millions” in wages and salaries.

Ioneer will provide local residents benefits including: Road access, improvements and maintenance; traffic management; public safety resources; emergency responder training and coordination; grant writing support; local hiring and recruitment programs; commitment to working with local businesses; commitment to develop a mutual assistance agreement between County and Ioneer; water usage and monitoring and invasive species prevention.

Divided into three phases, the agreement will coincide with the project’s planned construction and early development, with a scheduled periodic review and automatic two-year extensions upon Esmeralda County review and approval.

The lithium mine is expected to be “state-of-the-art,” recycling half of all water use and avoid the use of evaporation ponds to limit water used during operations.

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