Battery project charges ahead
THE proponent of a $450 million battery metals refinery in Townsville says the group is charging ahead full bore with the aim of securing finance and starting construction next year.
Queensland Pacific Metals is proposing a nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate refinery in Townsville City Council’s Lansdown holdings near Woodstock about 40km west of the city.
The project, called the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub, would create 1000 jobs during construction, mostly in 2021, and 105 full-time jobs in operation from 2021.
But Queensland Pacific Metals managing director John Downie concedes the timelines are tight to achieve their aims.
“We are charging on bore,” Mr Downie said.
“We don’t see any blocks.
“We realise time tight.
“In a way that’s a good thing because it will keep us all on our toes.
“It keeps everybody dancing.”
The company is in the midst of a pre-feasibility study, which was due to be completed last month but which Mr Downie said was in draft form at presfull roadis getting ent, with a full feasibility study to immediately follow.
Metallurgical test work and environmental and permitting work are under way.
Funding is planned to be secured from April 2020 with project construction from mid-2020 to mid-2021.
The company’s owner, Pure Minerals Ltd, this week announced it had extended an ore supply agreement from five to 10 years with a further five-year option with two New Caledonian companies.
Pure Minerals already has agreements to use a new Australian Direct Nickel process and conditional commitments for about 300ha of land from the council.
Mr Downie said the supply agreement was important in light of the Indonesian Government announcing plans to bring forward a ban on nickel ore exports from 2022 to 2020.
“The high nickel and cobalt grades associated with the New Caledonian ore provides the TECH project with a strong competitive advantage against other projects contemplating the processing of significantly lower grades,” Mr Downie said.
The company wants to import 600,000 tonnes of nickel ore a year to produce 25,000 tonnes of nickel sulphate, 3000 tonnes of cobalt sulphate, 221,000 of hematite and 8700 tonnes of alumina.