Lithium mine to close in WA putting 300 jobs at risk

by Admin
November 13, 2024

Western Australian mining company Mineral Resources Limited (MinRes) has announced its Lithium Mine at Bald will stop mining operations, potentially putting 300 jobs at risk.

The mine has been operating in the WA goldfields, about 50 kilometres south-west from Kambalda.

The mine’s staff of 300 will be reduced to a skeleton crew of ten people as the mine goes into a “care and maintenance” shutdown.

Western Australian mining company Mineral Resources Limited (MinRes) has announced its Lithium Mine at Bald will stop mining operations, potentially putting 300 jobs at risk. (Nine)

In a statement to the ASX, MinRes said a global period of low prices for the lithium-rich mineral spodumene meant the mining had to stop for now.

The shutdown, the company said, “will preserve cash and the value of Bald Hill’s spodumene orebody for when conditions in the global lithium market improve.”

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MinRes said the mine could start up again in the future if the price of lithium improves.

About 300 jobs will be put at risk. MinRes said they will attempt to redeploy its Bald Hill staff to other mines in WA, but some jobs could be made redundant if other positions don’t open up.

About 10 people will remain on site to ramp-down the production with the last shipment from Bald Hill to be sold in December.