Pilbara Minerals Ltd has reported that it has taken further significant steps towards growing spodumene concentrate production at its 100%-owned Pilgangoora Project located in Western Australia.
Following its Board’s approval of the staged restart of the Ngungaju Plant, the company is expecting these operations will recommence during the December quarter 2021, with annual production to be ramped up to approximately 180 000 to 200 000 dry metric tonnes (dmt) by mid-2022. This will see the combined annual production capacity of the Pilgangoora Project increase to 560 000 to 580 000 dmt.
This represents a key milestone for Pilbara Minerals as it works towards maximising the value of its strategic and well-timed acquisition of the former Altura Lithium Operations. The restart will expand production capacity, increase the scale of operations and provide production flexibility as the company looks to satisfy rapidly growing market demand. The integration of the two processing facilities (Pilgan and Ngungaju) and enlarged resource and pit inventories should provide significant operational synergies, enabling the company to realise cost efficiencies across the operation over time.
Published by Will Owen, Deputy Editor
Global Mining Review
Tuesday, 29 June 2021 | 10:00
