PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Hastings Technology Metals has awarded a A$350-million engineering, procurement and contract management (EPCM) contract to project house DRA Pacific at its Yangibana rare earths processing plant, in Western Australia.
Hastings said on Monday that the EPCM contract was the single largest dollar value contract associated with the Yangibana project, with the award representing another critical milestone for the project.
The one-million-tonne-a-year Yangibana operation is expected to produce some 15 000 t/y of mixed rare earths carbonate, and about 8 850 t/y of total rare-earth oxides over ten years, with Hastings expected to spend some A$427-million to bring the project online.
The EPCM contract will cover all aspects of the design and construction of the processing facility and the associated non-process infrastructure capable of producing the mixed rare earth carbonate.
“The award of the EPCM contract moves the Yangibana rare earth project firmly into development phase to commence project execution and progress to production of our mixed rare earth carbonate by 2022,” said Hastings chairperson Charles Lew.