Name of the Project
Beyondie sulphate of potash project (BSoPP).

Location
Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Kalium Lakes Limited (KLL).

Project Description
The front-end engineering and design (FEED) for Beyondie has delivered even further improved production and financial outcomes, including:

• a 10% increase in the production rate, from 82 000 t/y of sulphate of potash (SoP) in the September 2018 bankable feasibility study (BFS) to an estimated 90 000 t/y Stage 1 SoP facility, ramping up to a 180 000 t/y full-scale facility (BFS 164 000 t/y) proposed in the FEED;

• an overall system potassium recovery improvement from 72% to 91%, as a result of debottlenecking the process plant and an increase in the potassium recovery from the flotation tails stream; and

• a decrease in the total evaporation pond size, from 445 ha to 399 ha.

The initial mine life is estimated at more than 30 years and up to 50 years.

The SoP product quality has remained the same, at a premium from 51% to 52% potassium oxide, with negligible chloride and minimal insoluble material.

Potential Job Creation
The Beyondie project will create up to 80 jobs during construction and employ about 50 full-time workers over the 30-year life of the mine. It will also result in important infrastructure being added to the regional community, with the construction of an airstrip, upgraded roads, improved communications and a 78 km gas pipeline.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project’s pretax net present value has increased from A$575-million, at an 8% discount rate in the BFS, to A$606-million in the FEED, while the internal rate of return of has decreased from 20.4% 20.3%.

The September 2018 BFS estimated an initial payback of seven years.

Capital Expenditure
Preproduction capital for Stage 1 has increased from A$159.6-million in the definitive feasibility study (DFS) to A$216-million in the FEED.

Planned Start/End Date
The project was approved in October 2019. Commissioning and ramp-up to nameplate throughput is expected in 2020.

Latest Developments
A debottlenecking-style review of the plant design for the project has confirmed that a steady-state production of 100 000 t/y is achievable.

In addition, the current evaporation ponds’ performance shows that this production rate can be achieved by mid-2022.

The company is also confident that a production increase to 120 000 t/y can be achieved without substantial plant modifications and it is investigating pathways to deliver this outcome.

The project is more than 80% complete and is on schedule and on budget.

All key process equipment has been delivered to site and construction of the SoP purification plant is more than 71% complete.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
KLL (DFS), K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies (K-UTEC) and Ebner (engineering, procurement and supervision); K-UTEC, DRA Global, Advisian, Shawmac, Wyntak and Preston Consulting (principal technical consultants and FEED); RSM, DLA Piper Australia, HopgoodGanim Lawyers and BurnVoir Corporate Finance (accounting, legal, commercial and financial advisers); Edgen Murray (manufacture and supply of the coated line pipe), Pipecraft (pipeline installation); and Primero (design, supply and construction of the inlet and delivery stations, as well as the pipeline).

Contact Details for Project Information
KLL, tel +61 8 9240 3200 or email info@kaliumlakes.com.au.