Positive charge in battery plant plan
THE proponents of a battery metals refinery in Townsville say the project is proceeding well and its prefeasibility study remains on track for completion in the September quarter.
The project has also attracted Federal Government support with a grant of $47,507 to allow the CSIRO to assess flowsheet options.
Pure Minerals has provided an update on studies into the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub project to the Australian Securities Exchange.
Pure Minerals subsidiary Queensland Pacific Metals is developing the project, recently appointing Australian engineering company Lycopodium to undertake a prefeasibility study. It says process design criteria are 95 per cent complete and that they have started development of equipment specification, and discussions with vendors on major equipment packages for pricing.
It says data sheets for impact crusher, rod mill, ore dryer, barren evaporator, magnesium oxide mill, and decomposition heaters have been prepared and an electrical supply study has been completed.
QPM managing director John Downie said they were pleased with progress.
“Interest in the project has grown significantly, with many different proponents, and we look forward to delivering a positive prefeasibility study for the project,” Mr Downie said.
Townsville City Council has called tenders from proponents looking to lease, buy or otherwise deal in the land it holds at Woodstock for its Lansdown Industrial Precinct.
QPM has expressed interest in the precinct.
QPM wants to import 600,000 tonnes of nickel ore a year from New Caledonia to produce 25,000 tonnes of nickel sulphate, 3000 tonnes of cobalt sulphate and 4600 tonnes of magnesium oxide for the battery market as well as co-products including 221,000 tonnes of hematite iron ore.
A bankable feasibility study, drawing on pilot plant work at the CSIRO’S research facility at Waterford, Perth, is planned.
The company plans to accept ore from June 2020 for processing at a $300 million Stage 1 plant in Townsville in mid-2021.