Photo by: Sayona Mining
Name of the Project
North American Lithium (NAL) carbonate plant.
Location
Quebec, Canada.
Project Owner/s
Sayona Quebec is 75%-owned by Sayona Mining and 25%-owned by Piedmont.
Project Description
NAL is set to become the only lithium operation with a concentrator and carbonate plant on the same site in North America.
A preliminary technical study for lithium carbonate production at NAL has proven positive, with the study confirming the benefits of progressing into downstream processing.
The plant will have a life of 16 years and produce 372 000 t of carbonate.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an estimated pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, for lithium carbonate production of C$2.87-billion and a standalone carbonate plant internal rate of return of 60%.
Capital Expenditure
About C$555-million, including contingency.
Planned Start/End Date
Production is targeted for as early as 2026.
Latest Developments
Sayona Mining has generated its first profit from NAL following maiden shipments in the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
Three vessels loaded with spodumene concentrate departed port during the quarter, one of which was sold to Piedmont Lithium under an offtake agreement.
During the quarter, NAL produced a record 31 486 dry metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate, in line with targeted product specifications. This was a 6% increase on production in the previous quarter.
Sayona, which had restarted operations at NAL in March, reported that the operations team continued to focus on improving process plant utilisation, throughput and recovery, with initiatives, such as the crushed-ore dome, expected to improve mill utilisation.
The crushed-ore dome is designed to act as a secondary supply source of crushed ore to the mill to maintain process plant utilisation. The dome will have a storage capacity of 6 000 t of crushed ore when completed in the second half of the 2024 financial year.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Sayona Mining, tel +61 7 3369 7058 or emailinfo@sayonamining.com.au.