Name of the Project
K.Hill manganese project.

Location
The Kanye Basin, in south-eastern Botswana.

Project Owner/s
Giyani Metals Corp.

Project Description
A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) has demonstrated the strong potential of the project.

The project envisages an operation with a nine-year life-of-mine, producing 245 000 t of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal.

The PEA proposes traditional truck-and-shovel mining methods. The proposed process for the production of electrolytic manganese metal includes comminution, leaching, solid/liquid separation and solvent extraction, as well as electrowinning and refining.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax net present value, at a 10% discount rate, of C$491-million and an after-tax internal rate of return of 90.6%, with a payback of 1.5 years.

Capital Expenditure
Preproduction capital expenditure is estimated at $369-million.

Planned Start/End Date
The project aims to break ground in July 2020.

Latest Developments
Giyani has submitted the initial scoping and terms of reference (SToR) for the K.Hill project to the Botswana Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).

The SToR submission represents a major milestone within the wider scope of a comprehensive environmental- and social-impact assessment (ESIA), which is currently under way for the project.

The approval of the SToR by the DEA is expected to be granted during the fourth quarter of this year, after the customary review process, during which the DEA may request additional information.
 
ESIA approval by the DEA is a two-stage process, with the initial submission of the SToR marking the completion of the first stage.

The SToR contains a series of preliminary field and desktop assessments and consultations with the local community leadership in Kanye, government departments, nongovernmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders.

The completed ESIA report, prepared by consultants Loci Environmental, is expected to be submitted to the DEA by the end of the year.
 
The last outstanding workstream of the first stage was the public consultation meeting with the Paramount Chief of Bangwaketse, tribal administration officials and community representatives on August 19.

This consultation informed the representatives of the local Kanye community of the potential environmental- and social-impacts from the K.Hill operations and how these will be managed and mitigated during the various stages of the project.

Giyani has reported that the feedback from the public consultation was positive.
 
Meanwhile, despite the Covid-19-related restrictions, the team has completed a substantial amount of work, enabling Giyani to advance the project with fewer delays.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
SRK Consulting (PEA).

Contact Details for Project Information
Giyani Metals Corp, tel +1289291 4032 or email info@giyanimetals.com.