PERTH (miningweekly.com) − Lithium-miner Galaxy Resources has successfully loaded its first shipment of spodumene from its Mount Cattlin project, in Western Australia, with 6 500 t now bound for the Zhangjiagang port, in China.

“This is a very exciting day for the company and for all our operations. It is the first load of spodumene to be shipped from our Mount Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe and heralds the preparation of commissioning at our Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant, in China,” MD Iggy Tan said on Monday.

Galaxy remained on track to commission and start up the Jiangsu plant by the end of the second quarter, he added.

“If we have a surplus of spodumene around the commissioning phase, we may consider selling subsequent shipments to external customers, but our priority is the Jiangsu plant,” Tan said.

The Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant, would have a 17 000 t/y capacity, once completed.

Meanwhile, Tan reported that the ramp-up of the Mount Cattlin operation had been progressing well, with daily spodumene production recently averaging 70% of design output.

The Mount Cattlin operations host around 197 000 t of contained lithium oxide, with a measured and indicated resource of 13,8-million tons. The project would produce around 137 000 t/y of spodumene concentrate, and 56 000 lb/y of contained tantalum in concentrate, once fully operational.

 

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