PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Despite challenging financial conditions, ASX-listed CuDeco has continued with the systematic development of its Rocklands copper project, in Queensland.

The company on Wednesday announced the start-up of the diesel-fired power station and the start of energisation of the 6.6 kV high voltage circuits.

“The energisation of the high voltage circuits is a major achievement and an important step in the commissioning programme and towards pending operations,” said CuDeco MD Peter Hutchison.

“The testing and commissioning of the low voltage circuits is almost complete and this major step of high voltage commissioning, once completed, paves the way for the remainder of the wet commissioning and the start of continuous ore feed, targeted for the end of this month.”

Hutchison noted that while finances had been "challenging" and had slowed the development at some areas of Rocklands, activity, where possible, had continued at full pace, particularly in the key areas of electrical and process control.

“We are approaching the pointy end of proceedings now, with many critical path processes and procedures reaching the final stages of completion,” said GM Mark Roberts.

“Careful management of costs required us to minimise expenditure, and this has included measures such as delaying the recruitment of staff, reallocation of site personnel to critical activities and support from our contractors, suppliers and vendors,” Roberts added.

He stated that the remaining minor site development and infrastructure work was now being progressively completed, including separate quarrying and crushing of rock to provide road-base product, while mine and process scheduling was also being finalised, along with health and safety systems, environmental procedures and the recruiting of staff.

Trial mining at the Rocklands project started in 2012, and at the end of June last year, a total of 13.8-million tonnes of ore and waste had been excavated, with an estimated 2.2-million tonnes of ore stockpiled and ready for processing.

Trial mining at the mine continued between the end of June and August last year, until it was temporarily suspended.