Major Suppliers & Offtake Partners (2026)
Process Facility and Planned Production
Development of the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project is supported by a group of global engineering firms, equipment suppliers, and strategic offtake partners. These partnerships provide technical expertise and commercial certainty as the project advances toward construction.
Planned Production
Rhyolite Ridge is one of only two known deposits in the world where lithium and boron occur together in commercially significant quantities. Process improvements incorporated into the updated Definitive Feasibility Study reduced leach retention time and increased lithium recovery, raising expected lithium production by roughly 30 percent and boric acid production by roughly 15 percent compared with earlier study assumptions.
| Product | Average Annual Production (Years 1–25) |
|---|---|
| Lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) | 24,500 tonnes per year |
| Boric acid | 135,500 tonnes per year |
Engineering and Major Suppliers
Development of the Rhyolite Ridge Project includes collaboration with leading engineering firms and equipment suppliers with extensive experience in mining and mineral processing.
These companies provide specialized technical expertise in mining, chemical processing, and industrial infrastructure development.
Lithium Offtake Agreements
Ioneer has secured lithium offtake agreements with several leading participants across the battery materials and energy storage supply chain. These agreements support the development of domestic lithium supply for U.S. manufacturing and reflect growing demand for battery materials from electric vehicles, advanced cathode materials, and stationary energy storage systems.
Since 2021, Ioneer has entered into long-term lithium supply agreements with Ford Motor Company, Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, EcoPro Innovation, and Dragonfly Energy. Together these partnerships span multiple segments of the battery supply chain, from automotive battery production and cathode materials to lithium iron phosphate batteries used in recreational vehicles, marine systems, and energy storage applications.
Demand for lithium is also expanding rapidly as data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure require increasingly reliable and scalable energy storage. Large data centers rely on advanced battery systems to support backup power, grid stability, and integration with renewable energy. As AI deployment accelerates globally, this growth in energy storage capacity is expected to become an important additional driver of long-term lithium demand.
Lithium Offtake Status
| Category | LCE (tpa) | Battery or Materials Segment |
|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Production | ||
| Life of Mine Average Production | 24,500 | Based on 2025 DFS update |
| Fixed Signed Lithium Offtake Agreements | ||
| Ford Motor Company | 7,000 | Electric vehicle batteries |
| Prime Planet Energy & Solutions | 4,000 | Automotive battery manufacturing |
| EcoPro Innovation | 7,000 | Cathode materials |
| Total Fixed Committed Offtake | 18,000 | |
| Available Production | ||
| Uncommitted / Available Production | 6,500 | Available for additional supply agreements |
| Additional Lithium Offtake Agreement | ||
| Dragonfly Energy | Variable | Lithium iron phosphate batteries |
Note: Dragonfly Energy’s agreement provides for the purchase of surplus lithium carbonate after existing fixed commitments are met.
Boron Market
Boron is a U.S.-designated critical mineral and an important co-product at Rhyolite Ridge which supports a broad and diversified set of industrial, agricultural, and advanced technology applications.
Boron’s unique chemical and physical properties, including high strength-to-weight ratio, thermal stability, neutron absorption capability, and chemical durability, make it essential across a wide range of applications. Recent research has further highlighted boron’s role in advanced energy systems, including improvements in photovoltaic efficiency, hydrogen storage materials, and lithium-ion battery performance.¹
Boron is widely used across modern life, supporting applications ranging from consumer electronics and food production to transportation systems, electrical infrastructure, and renewable energy technologies. Boron compounds such as boron carbide and boron nitride are vital inputs for its use in defense and aerospace applications due to their hardness, low density, and resistance to extreme conditions.¹
Despite broad and consistent, growing demand, global boron production remains highly concentrated. Türkiye accounts about half global boron production and holds approximately 70% of the world’s known reserves. The U.S. produces about 25% of boron globally from primarily one location in California.²
This concentration of supply, combined with expanding demand across multiple sectors, underscores the importance of developing additional domestic sources of boron. Appropriately, in November 2025 boron was added to the U.S. Critical Minerals List, reflecting its importance to national security, energy systems, and industrial resilience.³
¹ Review of boron applications in advanced materials, energy systems, and defense applications (Dergipark)
² U.S. Geological Survey, Boron Statistics and Information
³ U.S. Department of the Interior, 2025 Critical Minerals List
Boron End-Use Markets
| Sector | Primary Use |
|---|---|
| Glass and Fiberglass | Thermal resistance, durability, and insulation materials |
| Agriculture and Fertilizers | Essential micronutrient for plant growth and crop yield |
| Renewable Energy and Electrification | Wind turbine blades, solar glass, and electrical infrastructure |
| Advanced Materials and Electronics | Semiconductors, specialty glass, and high-performance materials |
| Defense and Aerospace | Body armor, neutron shielding, and high-strength ceramics |
Boron at Rhyolite Ridge contributes meaningfully to project revenue and supports its position at the lower end of the global lithium cost curve.
Ioneer has three offtake agreements in place for its boric acid production, which were announced in FY 2020 and together account for 100% of Ioneer’s first year of boric acid production and over 80% of years two and three boric acid production.
The contracts include:
• A binding offtake agreement with Dalian Jinma Boron Technology Group Co. Ltd for 105,000 tonnes per annum of boric acid for five years and includes a distribution agreement for the territories of China and Taiwan.
• A three-year sales and distribution agreement with Kintamani Resources Pte Limited for the territories of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.