King River plans to build a mine in the Kimberley and establish its HPA benefaction plant in Kwinana.

The mine will be a conventional open cut with a sulphuric acid plant onsite.

It has been about 10 months since King River committed to build its HPA beneficiation facility just south of Perth.

Como conducted the pre-feasibility study and engineering work for the mine and plant before being awarded the DFS.

King River said it contracted Como Engineers for DFS for the processing plant.

That plant will have a 9000 tonne-per-annum capacity and produce high-purity aluminium precursor compound.

Pre-production capital expenditure is estimated at about $203 million.

The PFS estimated a net profit value of the plant and mine to be about $1 billion with an internal rate of return of more than 50%.

The DFS is due to be completed by early May.

The beneficiation plant is to use King River's own ARC technology from feedstock produced from its mine in the north.

King River called its HPA refining process ARC to highlight the aluminium chemical feedstock, the use of only recrystallisation steps in purification and the final calcination.

It comes as King River develops its mini-modular pilot plant to prove its ARC technology at a larger scale.

King River Resources chairman Anthony Barton said the company was pivoting its definitive feasibility study strategy towards the production of high value aluminium precursor compounds used in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery cathodes, an essential component to the fast-growing electric battery vehicle market.

"The development is being driven by the need to quickly address the rapidly growing market and the ability of King River to leverage off its accumulated intellectual property to date and the expectation of being able to further significantly reduce capital expenditure and operational costs," he said.

Ore from the mine in the Kimberley will be processed onsite and then shipped to Kwinana for refining into HPA.

However, the King River is yet to secure land for its plant and is still investigating opportunities with the WA government and private property owners.

King River has also joined the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre.

The FBICRC has 70 industry members including BHP and IGO along with governments at a federal and state level.

The venture has about $120 million cash and aims to establish Australia as a leader in the battery manufacturing industry by supporting upstream and downstream projects.

King River noted the CRC had a six-year research and development program targeting all segments of the battery value chain.

"Unlocking the value in Australia's mineral wealth by processing and adding value here rather than simply exporting raw materials presents unprecedented growth opportunities for Australian companies," Barton said.