TSX-V-listed Giyani Metals, developer of the K.Hill manganese oxide project, in Botswana, has announced the handover of the process flowsheet for the project.
Design of process flowsheet, developed by Coffey Geotechnics, a Tetra Tech company, has been completed and accepted by a specialist hydrometallurgical engineering firm.
The engineering firm will use the process flowsheet to provide the basis for the engineering of a demonstration plant, capable of producing high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) for testing by potential offtakers, to be built during this year.
In January 2021, the company appointed Tetra Tech to develop the process flowsheet to produce HPMSM directly from Giyani’s manganese oxide ore as part of the feasibility study on K.Hill and to be used in the concept design of the demo plant.
Having overseen the metallurgical testwork programme and process flowsheet development, Tetra Tech has completed the process flowsheet and submitted it to the company and the engineering firm.
Following a detailed review of technical parameters and design objectives, the engineering firm has confirmed acceptance of the process flowsheet as the basis for the engineering of the demo plant, which is anticipated to be capable of producing about 600 HPMSM crystals a day.
The HPMSM crystals are used in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery (LiB) cathodes.
The company has already placed an order for one crystalliser unit of the demo plant and, following formal engagement, the engineering firm will begin construction.
The demo plant will provide material to potential customers for quality testing, with the first shipments expected in 2023.
The final HPMSM product will have a target quality specification developed from discussions with several of the world’s largest battery makers and electric vehicle (EV) companies, Giyani notes.
As the company advances towards first production from the demo plant, it has continued its discussions with various EV and LiB manufacturers, as well as strategic international marketing groups, regarding future offtake and potential financing options.
“It has taken meticulous work to get to this stage and it is very pleasing to announce another significant milestone in our journey to becoming a responsible, sustainable, and low-carbon producer of HPMSM, a critical material to the EV transition.
“The flowsheet is the heart of our K.Hill project and successful handover of the design by our specialist engineers means both the feasibility study and the demo plant have taken another major step towards completion.
“We have set ourselves the goal of producing HPMSM of the highest possible quality with the lowest possible carbon footprint and this is reflected in the design which we have developed, but we will continue to look to improve our process as we move towards the production phase,” comments CEO Robin Birchall.
He adds that the list of LiB manufacturers and EV companies evaluating the project continues to grow.
“The K.Hill project is one of the very few new HPMSM projects in development globally and offers buyers on all continents the rare opportunity to secure their cathode material supply chain with a responsible source with the added advantage of diversifying from China as the current dominant producer,” posits Birchall.