Zulu Lithium project on track, says premier
PREMIER African Minerals Limited has received assurance from the suppliers of the scrubber unit at its Zulu lithium and tantalum project in Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province.
In June this year, the mining group announced the completion of the development of the Zulu lithium project for US$75 million, which of late has been undergoing plant modification.
“Premier confirms that the suppliers of the float plant have firmly stated that they have full confidence in the ENPROTEC flotation units’ capabilities to effectively produce spodumene concentrate.
“As previously announced, the plant has already produced a spodumene concentrate at 6.2 percent Li2O (lithium oxide).
“The suppliers of the float plant have confirmed that they are committed to determine what input changes can and need to be implemented to the plant operation to produce the required grade at the required recovery at target output and will apply these changes first on a laboratory scale to fully understand the effects of each and how to then implement these changes in the plant within the shortest time frame possible,” said the mining group in a statement.
The company’s chief executive officer, Mr George Roach said his organisation on one hand was excited of being at the back end of the optimisation process, but frustrated that real optimisation of the float circuit could only properly start after the first quarter of 2024 following the commissioning of the new mill and subsequent installation of the scrubber.
“The progress made this year on the most complex part of this plant is actually very good and we should not lose sight of the fact that this initial plant at Zulu is likely only the beginning of a long and exciting development for this project.
“Premier would like to take this opportunity to remind shareholders that Premier’s internal estimate (including Zulu) of the all- in-projected cost, which has not been independently verified, on a delivered China port basis, inclusive of all administrative and overhead costs is less than US$750 ton SC6 when plant output reaches 4 000 tons per month,” he said.
“This cost per tonne excludes any recovery of tantalum, excludes a potential double expansion of the float section of the plant based on the over-capacity in the comminution circuit, excludes any potential from high purity quartz and excludes the potential in the additional claims established in the Exclusive Prospecting Order region.”
-ebusinessweekl
