WA approves Browns Range rare earths pilot plant
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum has given its approval for the Browns Range pilot plant project, which rare earths developer Northern Minerals seeks to develop.
The ASX-listed company reported on Monday that the approval of the Browns Range pilot plant project management plan was a significant step forward in the government approvals process for the proposed plant, which had been designed at a scale of 10% of the full-scale operation.
The approval is an amendment to the project management plan that was previously approved for the full-scale operation.
Northern Star explained that the proposed pilot plant, which was subject to final financing, had a designed front end of 60 000 t/y crushing beneficiation circuit and a 3 200 t/y hydrometallurgical plant aimed at producing 590 t of total rare-earth oxide in a mixed rare earth carbonate, including 49 t/y of dysprosium.
The pilot plant is scheduled to operate for three years, during which time Northern Minerals will make a final decision on a full-scale operation.
The company is working towards a timeline of awarding construction contracts for the pilot plant in early 2017, with mining and concentrate production set to start in the second half of next year.
Last month, China’s Huatai Mining, part of coal trading group Shandong Taizhong Energy, agreed to inject $30-million in equity into Northern Minerals to assist with the construction of the project.
Browns Range will be the only heavy rare earths mine in Australia. Heavy rare earths are more valuable than light rare earths.
Shares in Northern Minerals traded 2.41% higher on Monday, closing at A$0.08 a piece.
Comments
The
functionality
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation