New Vanadium Project Update In Australia
www.ferroalloynet.com: Till now the new vanadium project in Australia remains to encounter environmental assessment which may have some improvement in late 2021.
Atlantic Pty Ltd: The Windimurra vanadium project is located approximately 670 kilometres north of Perth and 80 kilometres by road from Mount Magnet in Western Australia. Atlantic has completed a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the development of the Windimurra vanadium project. The study focused on engineering upgrades to the existing plant and infrastructure to successfully develop and operate the project over a long mine life. Atlantic expects to make a final decision to precede with the development of the Windimurra project in 2021 with construction beginning in the second half of 2021 and first production in 2022. Atlantic expects to produce approximately 7,600 tonnes per annum of high purity vanadium pentoxide flake (V2O5) at steady state. .
Technology Metals Australia’s (TMT): Primary exploration focus is a project called the Gabanintha Vanadium Project (GVP), located 40 km south east of Meekatharra in the mid-west region of Western Australia. It seeks to develop a processing technique to produce high purity vanadium pentoxide, with the goal of becoming one of the world’s largest single primary vanadium producers, catering to the rapidly expanding flow battery market as well as steel markets. The current mineral resource at Yarrabubba is 28Mt grading 39% Fe and 0.9% V2O5. Initial test work has confirmed that a high iron (>63%) vanadium rich (>1.6% V2O5) magnetite product can be produced. Technology Metals delivered the findings of its Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) in August 2019. Right now it is in the final stage for environmental assessment, which may have update in late 2021 or early 2022.
Neometals Ltd: Neometals wholly owns the Barrambie titanium and vanadium project (Barrambie) which has a granted mining permit. Barrambie is located approximately 80km Northwest of Sandstone in Western Australia and is one of the largest vanadiferous-titanomagnetite (“VTM”) resources globally (280.1Mt at 9.18% TiO2 and 0.44% V2O5), containing the world’s second highest-grade hard rock titanium resource (53.6Mt at 21.17% TiO2 and 0.63% V2O5) and high-grade vanadium resource (64.9Mt at 0.82% V2O5 and 16.9% TiO2) subsets based on the latest Neometals 2018 Mineral Resource Estimate. In March, Neometals’ (NMT) Chinese partner, IMUMR, has commenced pilot trials on gravity concentrates from the Barrambie Titanium and Vanadium Project in WA. The pilot program comes after successful testwork in China, which confirmed Neometals’ reductive roasting and magnetic separation flowsheet. The pilot trials are expected to be complete in the June 2021 quarter. At the same time, Neometals (ASX:NMT) announced that Primobius, its 50-50 joint venture with German-based SMS Group, has signed an MoU with Japan’s conglomerate giant Itochu Corporation for battery recycling.
Australian Vanadium Limited: The Australian Vanadium Project consists of a high-grade V-Ti-Fe deposit located in the Murchison Province approximately 43kms south of the mining town of Meekatharra in Western Australia and 740km north-east of Perth and a processing plant located near the port city of Geraldton. AVL Released an Updated PFS on 22nd December 2020. Its Ore Reserve is based on the updated PFS results with 32.1Mt at 1.05% V2O5 comprised of a Proved Reserve of 9.8Mt at 1.08% V2O5 and a Probable Reserve of 22.4Mt at 1.04% V2O5. Its pyrometallurgical work has confirmed the initial successful pilot test results announced in July 2020. It finished the pilot scale pyrometallurgical testwork at the Metso testing facilities in the US in February 2021. Final reporting of test results of the roast-leach pilot testwork campaign has confirmed high combined vanadium roast / leach extractions up to 94.9%. And AVL also signs MOU with Singaporean vanadium redox flow battery manufacturer, V-Flow Tech Pte Ltd and U.S vanadium for sales V2O5 sales.
TNG Limited: Mount Peake Vanadium-Titanium-Iron Project in the Northern Territory, Australia is 100% owned by TNG Limited. In late 202, it is successful establishment of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery or VRFB business unit as part of our vertical integration strategy for Mount Peake. TNG is also reviewing the design and engineering requirements for a vanadium electrolyte production facility, capitalising on previous test work completed with SMS. The next steps will include site selection for a showcase battery and discussions with relevant stakeholders and governments for implementation. In 2020 this company has completed Mine site environmental approval received (State & Federal), Mineral Leases granted, TIVAN® Processing Facility (DPF) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted and LOM offtake agreements in place for all products. And Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) Study will be finalised by SMS Group. Front-end loading 3 (“FEL-3”) report for the Beneficiation Plant complete. Besides, FEL-3 report for the Darwin TIVAN® Processing Facility (“DPF”) is in its final stages and expected completion at end-March. Review of EIS Supplement for the DPF is underway by the NT EPA ahead of the public comment period. It is waiting for the final Environmental Impact Statement (DPF). TNG’s V2O5 production can reach an average of 6,000 tpa when in production. Its proprietary technology will also produce TiO2 Pigment from VTM and by-products. Its 100,000 MT TiO2 Pigment plant is expected to be operational in 2023/24.
Audalia Resources Limited: Medcalf Vanadium/Titanium Project located in the premier Lake Johnston nickel-producing region of Western Australia, is 100% hold by Audalia Resources Limited. Audalia and its environmental consultants finalised the Environmental Review Document (ERD) and submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of Western Australia on 14 July 2020. Right now it is still working on progressing the definitive feasibility study (DFS), including the pilot scale test work programme; and the necessary licences and approvals for the Medcalf Project.
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