TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Quebec-based integrated lithium producer Canada Lithium has produced its first run of 99.1% pure lithium carbonate from its processing plant near Val d'Or, Québec.
The company on Wednesday said this material was now being upgraded to 99.5% battery-grade material with the commissioning of the solvent extraction and bicarbonate circuits, as the company expected to make its first shipment to the Tewoo Group, in China, under a five-year offtake agreement, later this week.
Canada Lithium said all the circuits of the mine and plant had now been tested at commissioning-level volumes and the company had started to methodically ramp up throughput. The next shipment to Tewoo is scheduled for the end of July.
The company also announced that it had been awarded certificates of registration for environmental and occupational health and safety systems in compliance with ISO 14001:2004, and under the BS OHSAS 18001:2007.
Production from the mine would gradually increase to build up ore stockpiles at the processing plant as the plant processing rates increase.
The ramp-up to the nameplate capacity of 20 000 t of lithium carbonate was scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2014.
Canada Lithium planned to add a night-shift roster during the next few months. Ore crushing would also move to a two-shift roster, while commissioning of the pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical plants would continue to be ramped up.