In 2023, Australian mining company Element 25 announced plans to invest $480 million across two phases to build an electric vehicle battery materials facility in Ascension Parish.
The project now appears to be in limbo after the company was unable to secure a site in Ascension, according to local economic development officials.
“The last update we received was that Element 25 was not able to secure a site in Ascension and was considering a site in Baton Rouge,” says Misty Taillon, office manager at Ascension Economic Development Corp. “We are unsure if the project is still active.”
When asked whether Element 25 is in fact considering a site in Baton Rouge, the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership declined to comment, saying it can’t comment on unannounced projects speculative or otherwise for competitive reasons and to protect company confidentiality.
Element 25 had not responded to a request for comment as of this morning’s publication deadline.
If the facility does eventually come to fruition, it will be the first in the Western Hemisphere to manufacture high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate, a critical component in EV batteries.
Element 25 initially expected to create up to 220 direct new jobs with average annual salaries of more than $90,000. The facility was originally expected to be operational at some point in 2026.
In 2024, Element 25 entered into a binding term sheet with Veolia North America to secure a site in Burnside for its facility. The 35-acre site is adjacent to Veolia’s existing sulfuric acid production and regeneration facility, which was expected to supply sulfuric acid to the Element 25 facility via pipeline at agreed contract rates over a 20-year term.
It’s currently unclear what prevented the company from formally securing a site in Ascension or whether Baton Rouge remains under consideration.
