https://www.miningweekly.com

Lithium Australia puts price tag on pilot plant

6th July 2017

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

Font size: - +

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – A large-scale lithium processing pilot plant (LSPP) to test ASX-listed Lithium Australia’s SiLeach technology is expected to cost some $42-million to develop, the company reported on Thursday.

The LSPP design is based on lithium carbonate production of 2 500 t/y, which is one-tenth the scale of a full-scale production plant.

Lithium Australia’s preferred supply model is to source lithium mica from waste streams from operating mines, and the company is also pursuing exploration activity to secure alternative supply.

The LSPP study was undertaken with the objective to construct and operate a facility that demonstrated the scalability of the SiLeach process with a break-even operating cost of $10 000/t of lithium carbonate, with Lithium Australia saying that the study had shown that this could be readily achieved without reliance on by-product credits.

The study also found that the LSPP could recover high-purity lithium carbonate that would meet offtake specifications.

Lithium Australia will conduct optimisation studies during the remainder of 2017 to improve the capital and operating costs, with a view of committing to construction of an LSPP by the end of the year.

In the meantime, Lithium Australian will pursue opportunities to source feed from existing operations where the value of accessory lithium minerals is not being captured, while also exploring for and developing its own mineral deposits.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Rentech
Rentech

Rentech provides renewable energy products and services to the local and selected African markets. Supplying inverters, lithium and lead-acid...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 19 April 2024
Magazine round up | 19 April 2024
19th April 2024
Resources Watch
Resources Watch
17th April 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.198 0.236s - 106pq - 2rq
1:
1: United States
Subscribe Now
2: United States
2: