Prospect completes plant optimisation

PROSPECT Lithium Zimbabwe, has successfully completed its plant optimisation which will result in High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) being a viable option for the Arcadia Lithium project’s processing design.

The company, which has a lithium operation outside Harare, is a unit of Australia Stock Exchange-listed group, Prospect Resources Plc.

In a statement, Prospect Resources said the use of a HPGR, which is energy efficient grinding solution, designed to lower operational costs and improve mine performance, will significantly simplify Arcadia’s processing design and replace tertiary and quatermary crushers.

“Prospect Resources Ltd is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed its plant optimisation, resulting in High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) being a viable option for the Arcadia Lithium Project’s processing design,” it said.

“The use of a HPGR significantly simplifies Arcadia’s processing design replacing tertiary and quatermary crushers.”

Prospect said the use of HPGR was expected to reduce Arcadia’s capital expenditure by US$2,3 million to US$163 million, which is a 1,4 percent reduction from the financial year 2018.

“The use of HPGR is expected to deliver a reduction of operating expenditure by US$7 per tonne or 2,46 percent to US$278/tonne.”

Last year the company implemented value engineering initiatives to optimise the plant design for its 87 percent-owned Arcadia Lithium project.