PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Lithium developer Prospect Resources has completed a plant optimisation at its Arcadia project, in Zimbabwe, to allow for the installation of a high pressure grinding roll (HPGR).
Prospect has noted that the HPGR option would simplify the project’s processing design, replacing tertiary and quaternary crushers, delivering a capital expenditure reduction of some $2.3-million, to $163-million, and reducing operating costs by around 2.46%, or $7/t, to around $278/t.
“The ongoing and focused value engineering initiatives have delivered positive outcomes and have demonstrated that HPGR technology can be used in the Arcadia lithium project’s processing plant,” said Prospect MD Sam Hosack.
Hosack said that Prospect is currently undertaking additional value engineering initiatives at Arcadia, including a review into the project’s logistics.
“We are focusing our efforts on identifying further cost reductions and operating improvements in order to strengthen the Arcadia lithium project’s economics,” he said.
A 2017 prefeasibility study estimated that the project could produce 75 000 t/y of spodumeme concentrate, ramping up to between 123 000 t/y and 155 000 t/y petalite concentrates and 88 000 t/y tantalite concentrates over the life of the mine.
The project is estimated to have a 15-year mine life.