Engineering News and Mining Weekly
PROJECTSINPROGRESS
Rhovan solar photovoltaic facility
Name of the Project
Rhovan solar photovoltaic (PV) facility.
Location
Near Brits, in South Africa’s North West province.
Project Owner/s
Rhovan, a Glencore Ferroalloys-managed vanadium mining and processing facility.
Project Description
Glencore is building a 25 MW solar PV plant. Once completed, the energy produced by the PV plant will be fed into Rhovan’s network and is expected to supply about 30% of the operation’s yearly energy demand. The reduction in gridsupplied electricity is expected to eliminate more than 48 000 t/y in carbon dioxide emissions at the plant.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Capital Expenditure
Not stated.
Planned Start/End Date
Work has started on the project, with the commissioning planned for late 2024.
Latest Developments
None stated.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Glencore, tel +27 11 772 0600 or email contact@ glencore.co.za.
Glencore media, Shivani Chetram, tel +27 11 772 0650 or email Shivani.chetram@glencore.co.za.
Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory
Name of the Project
Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (PAUL).
Location
The Du Toits Kloof mountains in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Project Owner/s
University of Stellenbosch.
Project Description
The 10 000 m3 laboratory will be accessed through the existing Huguenot tunnel, 800 m underneath the surface.
An engineering feasibility study will determine the viability of establishing the PAUL just off the tunnel as part of the South African National Roads Agency’s plans to upgrade the North Bore tunnel to decrease traffic volumes in the existing South Bore tunnel. Potential Job Creation
Not stated. Capital Expenditure
The Department of Science and Innovation has provided seed funding for a feasibility study for the construction of an underground laboratory. Planned Start/End Date
Not stated. Latest Developments
The PAUL moved into the project phase in February 2024. Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated. Contact Details for Project Information
University of Stellenbosch, tel +27 21 808 9111.
MINERALS project
Name of the Project
MINERALS project.
Location
The pilot plant will be located on the site of a seawater desalination plant yet to be determined.
Project Owner/s
ACCIONA and LEITAT Technology Centre.
Project Description
The European Commission has classified certain minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, lithium, rubidium or boron, as critical raw materials.
The project will address the development and validation, at pilot scale, of advanced technologies for the selective extraction of highvalue elements from the brine created in the reverse osmosis seawater desalination process. The technologies include liquid membranes based on the incorporation of ionic liquids and extractants into a polymer matrix, nanofibre adsorbents based on the incorporation of selective nanoparticles and precipitation processes.
The main expected impact of the project is the extraction of elements with an efficiency of more than 90% in the case of monovalent ions – lithium, rubidium, boron; more than 65% for calcium; more than 80% for magnesium and more than 70% for potassium, always in relation to the concentration of seawater brine.
At the scale of a medium-sized reverse osmosis desalination plant, with an output of 200 000 m3/d, the extraction of these target elements could mean significant additional income, as well as bringing the desalination process closer to the principles of the circular economy.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Capital Expenditure
€600 000.
Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.
Latest Developments
None stated.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
ACCIONA, tel +34 91 663 28 50 or email prensa@acciona.com.
LEITAT Technology Centre, tel +34 93 788 23 00 or email leitat@leitat.org.
Kachi lithium brine project
Name of the Project
Kachi lithium brine project. Location
Catamarca, Argentina. Project Owner/s
Lithium developer Lake Resources. Project Description
The Phase 1 definitive feasibility study on Kachi has demonstrated that it is a tier-one project. During this phase, production of 25 000 t/y over a 25-year life-of-mine will be targeted. Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project boasts a pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $3.85-billion and an internal rate of return of 25.35%, with a payback of 4.25 years.
Capital Expenditure
Estimated initial capital expenditure for Phase 1 is $1.38-billion.
Planned Start/End Date
Kachi is targeting first lithium in 2027, with the ramp-up to full capacity by the end of 2028.
Latest Developments
The company expects to make a final investment decision in the first quarter of 2025.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Lilac Solutions (lithium extraction testwork); Hatch (engineering and design services); and Citi and JP Morgan (finance coordinators of the project).
Contact Details for Project Information Lake Wells, tel +61 2 9299 9690 or email hello@ lakeresources.com.au.
Direct feed project reduction pellet
Name of the Project
Direct reduction pellet feed (DRPF) project.
Location
Near the town of Fermont, in north-east Quebec, Canada.
Project Owner/s
Champion Iron.
Project Description
The project will upgrade the Bloom Lake Phase II plant to produce an estimated 7.5-million tonnes a year of DRPF-quality iron-ore at 69% iron, with combined silica and alumina content below 1.2%.
The project has an estimated 20-year life.
Potential Job Creation
The construction phase of the project is expected to create about 150 jobs over two years and an additional 70 permanent jobs once completed.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, is estimated at C$1.23-billion, with an internal rate of return of 30.1%.
Capital Expenditure $470.7-million. Planned Start/End Date
The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025, which is subject to completing key construction milestones in mid2024. Latest Developments
None stated. Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated. Contact Details for Project Information
Champion Iron, tel +1514316 4858 or email info@ championironmines.com.
Kamistiatusset iron-ore project
Project Owner/s
Champion Iron.
Project Description
Champion Iron has evaluated the construction of mining and processing facilities to produce direct reduction- (DR-) grade pellet feed iron-ore from the mining properties of the Kami mine.
The study details an operation with a 25-year life-of-mine (LoM), with average DR quality ironore concentrate production of about 8.6-million tonnes a year at more than 67.5% iron.
The project is planned as a conventional openpit mine, combined with an in-pit crushing system (IPCS) for waste rock. Mining operations will use drills and haul trucks, together with hydraulic shovels, and a semimobile waste IPCS, with the ore crusher located at the pit exit on the east side.
The project contains the Rose pit, which is to be divided into three phases. The peak mining rate is expected to be 81-million tonnes a year over the LoM.
A total of 643-million tonnes of ore will be mined at an average total iron-ore grade of 29.2%, with a total of 1.02-billion tonnes of combined waste and overburden, resulting in a stripping ratio of 1.6 t of waste per tonne of ore mined.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
A pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $1.48-billion and an internal rate of return of 12.1%, with a payback of seven years, have been estimated for the project.
Capital Expenditure $3.86-billion.
Planned Start/End Date
The project is expected to take 48 months to complete, following a final investment decision.
Latest Developments
None stated.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Champion Iron, tel +1514316 4858 or email info@ championironmines.com.
Lubmin hydrogen project
Name of the Project
Lubmin hydrogen project. Location
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Project Owner/s
Lhyfe. Project Description
Lhyfe’s backbone strategy comprises the positioning of some of its green hydrogen production units at locations specifically chosen for their proximity to the future European hydrogen backbone, thus enabling it to cater to an array of customers.
The company plans to produce up to 330 t/d of green hydrogen at the Lubmin plant, which will be built on the site of a decommissioned nuclear power plant.
The project will have electrolysis capacity of 800 MW.
The new project site will offer access to extensive existing and future electricity production capacities from offshore wind farms. It also benefits from an extra-high voltage 50 Hz grid connection.
The project’s implementation is subject to the granting of operating authorisations and construction permits, as well as financial investment decisions.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Capital Expenditure
The Lubmin plant will feed into the German core hydrogen pipeline network, for which the German government recently unveiled a €20-billion financing plan.
Planned Start/End Date
Commissioning is targeted by 2029.
Latest Developments
None stated.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information Lhyfe – industry press relations, Clémence
Rebours, tel +33 6 60 57 76 43 or email c.rebours@nouvelles-graines.com.
Lhyfe investor relations, Yoann Nguyen, email investors@lhyfe.com.
Kanyika niobium project
Name of the Project
Kanyika niobium project.
Location
About 55 km north-east of the regional centre of Kasangu, in central Malawi.
Project Owner/s
Globe Metals & Mining.
Project Description
Kanyika has the potential to become the first new globally significant niobium mine in 50 years.
The project will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 involves the development of an 86 000 t/y run-of-mine operation, producing 1 760 t/y of concentrate for shipment to a planned refinery, in Lilongwe.
Phase 2 will expand the operation to 1.5-million tonnes a year producing 17 700 t/y of concentrate. This phase also includes a refinery to be built in Malawi.
Kanyika will have nameplate production of 3 267 t/y of niobium pentoxide, and 136 t/y of tantalum pentoxide over its 27-year life-of-mine. The products will be high-specification and -purity products with grades of more than 99.5% and 99% respectively.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $1-billion and internal rate of return of 47.08%, with a payback of 4.4 years.
Capital Expenditure
Phase 1 capital is estimated at $29-million and includes the mine, concentrator and refinery development.
Phase 2 is estimated at $231-million
Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.
Latest Developments
None stated.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Globe Metals & Mining, tel +61 8 6118 7240 or email info@globemm.com.
O Cerqueiral Wind Farm
Name of the Project
O Cerqueiral Wind Farm.
Location
Cabana de Bergantiños, Coristanco and Santa Comba (A Coruña, Galicia) municipalities, on the Iberian peninsula of Spain.
Project Owner/s
Greenalia.
Project Description
The project entails the construction of a new 27 MW wind farm consisting of six wind turbines, each with a hub height of 111 m and a rotor diameter of 136 m.
The wind farm is expected to produce 88 758 MWh/t, which will avoid the emission of 32 840 t/y of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Capital Expenditure
€19.5-million. Planned Start/End Date
Not stated. Latest Developments
None stated. Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated. Contact Details for Project Information
Greenalia (Europe), tel +34 900 81 50 81.