ioneer Ltd in exclusive partnership with Caterpillar for heavy equipment supply at Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada

ioneer Ltd (ASX:INR) (OTCMKTS:GSCCF) (FRA:4G1) has signed a partnership with Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) (FRA:CAT1) as its exclusive heavy equipment partner for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada.

The equipment and services supplied by Caterpillar during the first five years of operation are valued at around US$100 million.

In addition, Caterpillar will offer finance solutions for the equipment through Caterpillar Financial Services.

Both the supply of equipment and services and finance solutions are subject to a final investment decision being taken on the project and definitive legal documentation.

The partnership will operate through Cashman Equipment, a major Caterpillar equipment dealer, which has been based in Nevada since 1931.*Domestic lithium battery supply chain*

ioneer's managing director Bernard Rowe, said: "We are extremely pleased to partner with the world's leading manufacturer of mining equipment, Caterpillar.

The Cashman Equipment Cat dealership has serviced the Nevada mining industry for close to 90 years and we are delighted it is joining us in a new era of mining within Nevada and the US - producing materials that are critical for electric vehicles and renewable energy.

"ioneer is at the forefront of the US strategic imperative to develop a domestic lithium battery supply chain."