TSX-V-listed Plateau Energy Metals has appointed DRA Global as lead engineer and consultant for the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the Falchani lithium project, in Macusani Plateau, in south-eastern Peru.
Additionally, DRA Global industry specialist Wardell Armstrong has been appointed PEA lead of mine planning, scheduling and optimisation.
Plateau CEO Alex Holmes said in a statement on Friday that Plateau has discovered, delineated and metallurgically advanced a significant new lithium project in a short period of time, making it critical to support project advancement with a project team that has lithium processing bench strength and know-how to scope out a robust project that can meet the stringent battery-grade lithium product specifications of end-users.
DRA has experience in bringing lithium process engineering depth to projects globally and has been involved in projects including Nemaska Lithium’s Whabouchi mine.
The PEA is expected to take about six months to complete.
As part of the PEA process, DRA will work with ANSTO Minerals, which is Plateau’s metallurgical consultant, to complete a techno-economic concept level trade-off study of alternative processing routes, prior to determining the most viable option in the PEA.
Preliminary results from ANSTO’s work will be completed by February, after which a series of optimisations programmes will be undertaken in collaboration with Plateau and its project team.