EV Resources Secures Key Permit and Grid Application to Boost Antimony Production

Critical Regulatory Milestone Unlocks Production Start

EV Resources (ASX:EVR) has taken a decisive step towards producing antimony by securing the Change of Use of Soil permit for its Tecomatlán Processing Plant in Puebla, Mexico. This permit is a pivotal regulatory requirement that now allows the company to file the Informe Preventivo, the last environmental report needed before commencing Phase 1 operations.

Managing Director Mike Brown emphasised the significance, noting that this permit clears the "administrative runway" for the Phase 1 gravity circuit and underpins the company’s goal of first concentrate production in the second half of 2026. This milestone also enables EVR to apply for grid power connection, which the company has promptly done.

Grid Connection Application Aims to Cut Costs and Diesel Exposure

Following the permit approval, EVR lodged an application with Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) for grid interconnection as an industrial user. CFE has confirmed sufficient capacity exists at the connection point, with minimal infrastructure needed; just a step-down transformer and under 150 metres of cabling.

Switching from diesel generators to grid electricity is expected to materially reduce operating expenses and shield the plant from diesel price volatility, a notable cost risk in mining operations. This move aligns with EVR’s strategy to establish a low-cost, efficient processing footprint at Tecomatlán.

Advancing Toward Commissioning and Production

The company has completed dry commissioning of the grinding circuit, a key Phase 1 component, and is finalising the Informe Preventivo for imminent filing. EVR is also progressing technical reviews with CFE for the grid connection and preparing to receive Falcon gravity concentrators to site.

In parallel, EVR is actively engaging with regional miners to secure additional third-party feedstock, while metallurgical and characterisation studies are underway to assess these options. Of particular interest is how these feedstock arrangements will support the plant’s commissioning and early operations, potentially smoothing the pathway to steady concentrate output.

EVR’s near-term production ambitions build on its broader Mexican antimony strategy, which includes the Los Lirios Project. Recent drilling at Los Lirios has confirmed a broad, shallow antimony system, reinforcing the potential feedstock pipeline for Tecomatlán’s plant refurbishment and extensive shallow antimony system. The company’s staged approach to commissioning and production readiness was highlighted in earlier updates on the Tecomatlán plant’s grinding circuit plant commissioning milestone.