A key regulatory step has been secured for the Wolfsberg lithium project in Austria, as national authorities granted a two-year extension to its mining licence, strengthening planning certainty for the project’s next development phases. The Wolfsberg project is linked to and is located in the Carinthia region of southern Austria.
The licence extension comes at a time of firmer lithium prices and heightened European efforts to secure domestic supplies of critical raw materials. While the regulatory approval provides a stable framework for continued project planning, the transition to production will still depend on external market and financing conditions.
According to the company, the extended permit supports progress toward establishing a framework for a potential “Decision to Mine,” which is now targeted for completion by the end of 2026. However, any final investment decision will remain conditional on favourable lithium market pricing and the successful securing of project financing.
Wolfsberg is considered a strategic asset for , which was formed following a business combination with European Lithium. The renewed licence is seen as a crucial enabler for advancing technical and commercial planning, though it does not remove the economic hurdles associated with bringing the project into production.
The timing of the permit renewal aligns with broader European policy objectives aimed at strengthening raw material security. Wolfsberg is intended to produce spodumene concentrate for use in electric mobility and battery storage markets, in line with the EU’s push to localise supply chains under the .
Alongside progress at Wolfsberg, European Lithium has recently taken steps to reinforce its corporate position, including divesting part of its stake in Critical Metals Corp. and announcing a diversification move through the planned acquisition of US-based Velta Holding, which owns titanium assets in Ukraine.
For Wolfsberg, the next major milestone remains the targeted framework for a “Decision to Mine” by the end of 2026, provided market conditions and financing arrangements align.
