- Write by:
-
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 - 13:05:04
-
547 Visit
-
Print
Mining News Pro - Pilbara Minerals plans to form a joint venture with tech company Calix to examine the development of a midstream lithium chemicals refinery at the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum operation in Western Australia.
A memorandum of understanding between the companies will involve a scoping study to understand the refinery process for producing concentrated lithium for batteries using Calix’s calcination technology.
If successful, the JV will look to build a demonstration plant at Pilgangoora, with an aim to develop Calix’s electrically heated kiln technology to introduce a world-first commercial-demonstration-scale, low-emissions lithium salt production facility.
“At the mine, if we can efficiently calcine a lower-grade spodumene concentrate we should also be able to achieve a higher recovery from the ore body, meaning less mine wastage and lower cost,” Pilbara Minerals managing director and chief executive officer Ken Brinsden said.
Meanwhile, Pilbara Minerals has reported new high-grade exploration results at Pilgangoora, which the company believes justify its acquisition of Altura Mining (finalised in April).
Brinsden said the positive results were in line with what was expected of the prosperous region.
“The area adjacent to the old Altura tenement boundary has always offered significant exploration potential and was considered one of the benefits for Pilbara Minerals undertaking the Altura asset acquisition,” Brinsden said.
“These results from the current program confirm the potential endowment of this area and we intend to work hard on this area in the coming months to add further value to the integrated operations.”
Pilbara Minerals has scheduled the release of an updated combined mineral resource between the Pilgangoora and Altura operations, due in the September quarter of 2021.
Brinsden said the quality of resource at the operations, 100 kilometres south-east of Port Hedland, would serve the world’s rising demand for lithium as the transition to clean energy takes effect.
“The Pilgangoora project is one of the world’s great lithium resources which will play an important part in raw materials supply across the globe, including value-added products, as the global decarbonisation push and electrification drive gathers significant momentum,” Brinsden said.
The high-grade results included a 15-metre sample at 2.35 per cent lithium oxide and 110 parts per million of tantalum peroxide, which is used in optical glass and fibre.
Short Link:
https://www.miningnews.ir/En/News/613444
Canada’s mining industry is pushing for an carveout to the federal government’s proposed increase to capital gains ...
London-based Savannah Resources will if necessary ask Portugal’s government to authorize compulsory land acquisitions ...
India is considering offering incentives to encourage private companies to set up lithium processing facilities, as New ...
London-based Savannah Resources will if necessary ask Portugal’s government to authorize compulsory land acquisitions ...
Australia will spend A$566 million ($373 million) over the coming decade to map out resource deposits with a focus on ...
Equinor on Wednesday said it has entered an agreement with Standard Lithium to acquire a 45% stake in lithium projects ...
China issued draft rules on Wednesday to regulate its lithium battery market, after rapid expansion in the sector hit ...
China’s Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. plans to pay about $408 million to buy out its partner in a lithium mine being ...
The chairman of Chile’s state-run copper giant Codelco said on Monday that he expects to reach a lithium deal with ...
No comments have been posted yet ...