Tag Archives: Lithium

Zenith Energy, Liontown go big with proposed hybrid power plan at Kathleen Valley lithium project

Energy minerals, Mineral project development, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Zenith Energy and Liontown Resources have partnered on what they say is Australia’s largest off-grid renewable energy hybrid power station project.

The letter of award between the two companies covers a potential contract to build, own, and operate the hybrid power station in Australia at Liontown’s Kathleen Valley Project in Western Australia.

The award will see Zenith Energy construct a 95 MW hybrid power station at Kathleen Valley in the Goldfields-Esperance region, which includes 30 MW of wind capacity, 16 MWp fixed axis solar PV array and a 17 MW/19 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

Kathleen Valley is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade hard-rock lithium deposits and, with an initial 2.5 Mt/y production capacity, is expected to supply circa-500,000 t/y of 6% lithium oxide concentrate, according to the company. With first production expected in June quarter of 2024, the deposit will also produce tantalum pentoxide.

Zenith Managing Director, Hamish Moffat, says the partnership will allow Zenith Energy to demonstrate its innovation, flexibility and expertise to deliver low-carbon emitting hybrid power solutions.

“Zenith Energy is proud to continue to play a lead role in the energy transition, and to provide like-minded partners with a glide path to net zero,” he said. “The project also further demonstrates Zenith Energy’s continued commitment to increasing the proportion of renewable generation in our portfolio.”

Artist impressions of what the Kathleen Valley site will look like (and above)

Moffat says the thermal components of the power station are designed to operate in ‘engine off’ mode at various times, delivering 100% renewable energy generation to Kathleen Valley.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to showcase our expertise, and the ability of renewables to deliver reliable, continuous supply, to power an entire mining operation,” he said. “It will once again raise the industry benchmark in renewable energy integration and demonstrates our commitment to power decarbonisation.”

Other unique aspects of the agreement include:

  • Largest off-grid hybrid power station in Australia: The hybrid power station is currently expected to have the largest off-grid renewable capacity of any mining project in the country, with 46 MW and 17 MW BESS; and
  • Renewable incentives: A combination of incentives to produce renewable power over thermal power together with a renewable energy guarantee will allow Liontown to meet and exceed its renewable energy factor target of 60% at startup and beyond.

Liontown Managing Director and CEO, Tony Ottaviano, says Liontown is delighted to partner with such an experienced and highly competent power producer.

“We believe Zenith Energy is an ideal partner to delivery an industry leading hybrid power station to meet Liontown’s energy needs and requirements for a high-capacity renewable solution,” Ottaviano said. “The hybrid power station proposed will enable Liontown to exceed our target of achieving at least 60% renewable energy at project start-up and beyond.”

Moffat says Zenith Energy is engaged with Traditional Owners, recently announcing a collaboration with Tjiwarl Contracting Services to work together to deliver low carbon emission power solutions for miners and communities on Tjiwarl native title determined lands.

Zenith Energy and Liontown have agreed key commercial terms and are working to finalise arrangements under a binding long term build, own and operate power purchase agreement.

Lycopodium named EPCM contractor for Liontown’s Kathleen Valley lithium project

Energy minerals, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , ,

Lycopodium Minerals, a subsidiary of Lycopodium Limited, has been appointed to complete the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) and commissioning services for the delivery of the Kathleen Valley lithium project, in Western Australia, for Liontown Resources.

The project is on the western edge of the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt, about 60 km north of Leinster, and 680 km northeast of Perth. It is considered a Tier 1 battery metals asset with excellent grade and scale in one of the world’s premier mining districts.

Having initially undertaken the prefeasibility study (PFS) update for the project, followed by value engineering assessments and subsequently the definitive feasibility study and front end engineering design (FEED) services, Lycopodium now has the opportunity to manage the project through the EPCM delivery phase.

Kathleen Valley is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade hard-rock lithium deposits and, with an initial 2.5 Mt/y production capacity, it is expected to supply circa-500,000 t/y of 6% lithium oxide concentrate. With first production expected in June quarter of 2024, the deposit will also produce tantalum pentoxide.

Mining will predominately be underground, allowing direct access to higher grade mineralisation while minimising waste and the environmental footprint of the project, with mined ore processed through a whole of ore flotation circuit.

Lycopodium will provide the engineering design, procurement of equipment and materials, and the construction management, pre-operational testing and commissioning services for the processing facilities and associated non-process infrastructure at Kathleen Valley, with the contract valued at approximately A$35 million ($24 million).

Lycopodium Limited’s Managing Director, Peter De Leo, said: “Kathleen Valley is a lithium project of global significance that will supply vital battery minerals to the burgeoning electric vehicle and energy storage industries. As we move towards a renewable energy future, the award of this project further strengthens our position as a premier partner in the delivery of lithium projects, and we thank Liontown for the opportunity to partner with them on this important project.”

Liontown says first production from Kathleen Valley could occur in the June quarter of 2024.

TOMRA Mining to demonstrate Final Recovery diamond sorter at Electra Mining 2022

Diamond mining, Mineral processing, Mining events, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TOMRA Mining will showcase its sensor-based sorting solutions at the Electra Mining 2022 exhibition, in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September, showcasing, for the first time, live demonstrations of its COM XRT 300 /FR Final Recovery sorter for diamond operations.

Representatives from its Sales and Field Service teams will also present TOMRA’s offering of advanced digital products and services, such as the TOMRA Insight cloud-based platform and its latest generation TOMRA ACT PC-based system, as well as its portfolio of sorting solutions for the diamonds, metals and industrial minerals industry at the show, which runs from September 5-9.

Corné de Jager, Diamond Segment Manager TOMRA Mining, said: “The Electra Mining Show is the perfect platform for us to showcase TOMRA’s advanced mining solutions. This important exhibition attracts a wide audience – from operators and metallurgists – interested in smart solutions that are simple to operate and maintain, to decision makers who need to be up to date with the latest value-adding technologies. At the event we will have the opportunity to meet them face-to-face and discuss their requirements, giving them a taste or TOMRA’s collaborative approach, product expertise and after-sales support.”

TOMRA will demonstrate the Final Recovery sorter with fine kimberlitic or alluvial ore together with diamond powdered tracers in a Final Recovery and Sort House application. Visitors will be able to experience first-hand the sorter’s capability to produce an ultra-high diamond-by-weight concentrate with an exceptionally low yield by using TOMRA’s proprietary ultra-high-resolution sensor, advanced new image processing and high-precision ejector valve system, the company says. The sorter offers 100% diamond detection within the specified size fraction and > 99% guaranteed diamond recovery with appropriate feed material preparation.

“We are very excited to demonstrate the TOMRA COM XRT 300 /FR sorter,” de Jager says. “It completes our unique partnered diamond recovery ecosystem, which covers the entire process. We are now able to offer our customers a full XRT solution to sort +2-100 mm particles: +4-100 mm particles with our bulk concentration sorters, and +2-32 mm particles with the COM XRT 300 /FR in its Final Recovery, Sort House or small-capacity exploration applications. The sorter offers higher efficiency, better grade, simplified security requirements with fewer sorting stages and a smaller footprint. It reduces complexity and operational costs, and unlocks the potential for previously deemed non-profitable projects and marginal deposits to be economically viable. ”

The COM XRT 300 /FR sorter can also add value to existing kimberlitic and alluvial operations that use conventional bulk-concentration methods like rotary pans, dense medium separation or X-ray luminescence, if installed in a Final Recovery and/or Sort House function after these existing processes. With a contained capital expense, operations can benefit from a quick, simple and significant revenue gain, TOMRA says.

The TOMRA team at the exhibition will explain the full benefits of its complete partnered diamond recovery ecosystem consisting of XRT technology covering the entire process – from Bulk Concentration to Final Recovery and Sort House applications – as well as its advanced digital products and services. These include the newly refreshed TOMRA ACT PC-based system interface and TOMRA Insight cloud-based subscription solution.

TOMRA Mining has 190 sorter installations operating around the world, of which more than 60 are in Africa. It offers installation opportunities in Africa in the metals industry, for example in applications such as lithium, chromite, platinum, manganese and gold.

Imperial Oil looks to E3 and lithium extraction options for new life at Leduc field

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Imperial Oil Limited has announced a collaboration agreement with E3 Lithium to advance a lithium-extraction pilot in Alberta, Canada, exploring the redevelopment of an historic oil field into a potential new leading source of lithium for Canada’s growing critical minerals industry.

The pilot will support E3 Lithium’s Clearwater project, which will draw lithium from under the Leduc oil field, Imperial’s historic discovery that first launched major oil and gas development in Western Canada. E3 Lithium’s proprietary technology is designed to extract the critical mineral from the lithium-rich brine, with potential for commercial development of battery-grade products.

“This exciting collaboration brings together Imperial’s long-standing commitment to research and technology to help test and scale E3’s lithium-recovery technology,” Jason Iwanika, Director of Commercial Business Development at Imperial, said. “We continue to advance the innovation and technologies needed to support the energy transition, working in collaboration with governments and industry to progress new opportunities from existing assets and sector expertise.”

Chris Doornbos, CEO of E3 Lithium, said: “E3 Lithium and Imperial share an interest in the diversification of the Alberta economy, local job creation and sustainability. Leduc No.1, Imperial’s first well into this reservoir, was one of Imperial’s most prolific oil discoveries in Alberta and transformed the provincial and Canadian economies, much like lithium has the potential to do. Having Imperial now working with E3 Lithium in exploring the redevelopment of Leduc into a world-class source of lithium is an exciting new chapter in Alberta and Canada’s story.”

The pilot project includes drilling Alberta’s first lithium evaluation wells, planned to be completed by the end of the September quarter of this year. Work will also focus on scaling up E3 Lithium’s proprietary technology, which brings the brine liquid to the surface where the lithium is removed and concentrated. This liquid is immediately returned underground as part of a closed-loop system.

E3 Lithium’s preliminary economic assessment at Clearwater estimates the first phase of development could produce approximately 20,000 t/y of lithium hydroxide from 7 Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) inferred mineral resources.

Under the agreement, E3 Lithium will continue to operate the Clearwater project and retain its IP, with technical and development support from Imperial in areas such as water and reservoir management. The agreement also includes access for E3 Lithium to freehold lands in the area, which are operated by Imperial.

E3’s DLE ion-exchange technology uses a proprietary sorbent designed to be highly selective towards lithium ions. It quickly and efficiently reduces large volumes of low-grade brine into a high-grade lithium concentrate in one step, simultaneously removing nearly all impurities, E3 says. This produces a very clean product for the development of high-purity lithium compounds used in Li-ion batteries.

As part of the agreement, Imperial has agreed to invest C$6.35 million ($4.90) into E3 at a pre-paid price of C$1.86/warrant and the issuance of 3,413,979 warrants.

Travertine looks to revolutionise metal extraction tech, sulphuric acid production

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

A new technology start-up that came out of research from the University of California, Berkeley is looking to commercialise a novel, cost-effective process to capture and permanently sequester ambient carbon dioxide while producing sulphuric acid.

The process should, the company says, enable carbon-negative critical element extraction and fertiliser production.

Travertine Technologies, Inc. today announced a $3 million seed financing jointly led by Grantham Environmental Trust and Clean Energy Ventures to enable the company to scale up its team in Colorado, and to accelerate its pathway to pilot-scale technology implementation in 2023.

Carbon dioxide removal has widely been acknowledged as a key piece in the climate change puzzle, with the IPCC believing it must be scaled concurrently with decarbonisation to achieve the goals from the Paris Climate Accord.

Travertine’s electrochemical process mineralises CO2 from the air and co-produces sulphuric acid used for extracting raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. It accelerates the Earth’s natural carbon cycle to precipitate carbonate minerals from carbon dioxide in the air – producing sulphuric acid, green hydrogen for renewable energy and oxygen as a by-product – and permanently storing carbon in the solid phase, according to Travertine.

Travertine Founder and CEO, a former University of California, Berkeley Professor, Laura Lammers, told IM: “For every tonne of sulphuric acid produced, half a tonne of CO2 is saved and sequestered.”

Some 300 Mt of sulphuric acid is used annually in extractive industries including mining and fertiliser production, with demand set to grow with the surging need for critical elements.

Lammers, one of the leading scientists in carbonate mineralisation, says Travertine is engaging with companies looking to expand or bring online new production of energy minerals such as lithium that would typically go down the normal sulphuric acid plant route, telling them Travertine can provide another option.

“In addition to that, there are many tonnes of sulphate waste out there that come with recycling options using the technology,” she said. If the technology proves successful in these applications, it could prevent the accumulation of millions of tonnes of waste annually that contaminate water and are deemed as liabilities for mining companies.

And there are also options to bolt-on the technology for retrofits/upgrades in existing sulphuric acid processes, she added.

To this point, the company is working with mining companies to trial this technology, with Lammers hoping to say more about these partnerships next year.

She concluded: “There are a number of companies looking at the carbon-to-value landscape, but we are focused on redressing the needs of the industry and the environmental balance.”

Chile’s SQM increases electric vehicle fleet to 34

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

The largest electric fleet of transport vehicles in the Chilean mining industry has been unveiled in Antofagasta by SQM in partnership with transport companies Viggo GrandLeasing, Transportes CVU and Andes Motor, as part of their sustainability plans to reduce their CO2 emissions, SQM says.

Consisting of 34 fully-electric vehicles, the fleet includes passenger buses, minibuses, vans, mobile solar checkpoints, and what it says is Chile’s first high-tonnage electric truck, making it the most diverse electric fleet in use across an entire mining operation in the country.

With the launch of the new fleet, SQM says it is on track to achieve carbon neutrality in all its products by 2040. This follows on from the company’s announcement at the end of 2021 that it was joining the UN’s Race to Zero program. SQM had already introduced Chile’s first high-tonnage electric truck, a 28 t Yutong ZKH5310ZLJP6BEV, to be used in large-scale mining onto an 86-km route from the company’s Coya Sur plant in María Elena to the port of Tocopilla, saving approximately 3,840 t/y of CO2.

The vehicles were presented on the esplanade of the Huanchaca Ruins in Antofagasta, at an event that was attended by various regional and community leaders, as well as executives and representatives from SQM and its partners. The introduction of the electric vehicles in northern Chile is especially significant as it supports efforts at a national level to decentralise electric mobility in Chile, SQM said.

José Miguel Berguño, Vice President of Corporate Services at SQM, said: “As a company we are proud to launch this fleet, contributing to the development of national electromobility and promoting the use of electric vehicles in the north of Chile, covering the regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá, focusing on operational areas of our sites and on the transfer of all workers of SQM who live throughout the national territory.”

ABB to help Savannah with move towards carbon-neutral lithium production at Barroso

Automation, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

ABB and Savannah Resources have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore industrial automation and smart electrification solutions for the development of the Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal.

Under the early-stage agreement, ABB will apply its technical expertise to outline production control and process solutions for lithium concentrate production and integrated spodumene mining operations in line with Savannah’s target of zero emission operations by 2030.

Barroso is 143 km northeast of Porto and is Europe’s largest known resource of hard-rock spodumene. Savannah’s objective is to develop an operation producing premium, carbon-neutral lithium concentrate as a strategic raw material in Europe’s electric vehicle battery supply chain. Local electricity, produced mainly from hydro, solar and wind energy with zero carbon emissions, would be used to provide power to the project.

ABB says its technology solutions are well aligned and would maximise the use of the renewable energy and electrification to move the project towards carbon-neutral production.

Savannah is focused on responsible development of Barroso by using 238 individual measures to eliminate or mitigate environmental impacts. These measures will be included in the definitive feasibility study on the project, which Savannah is currently completing. This will also incorporate the actions from the current project decarbonisation study, which supports Savannah’s commitment to target a zero emission operation by 2030 or earlier.

Just last month, Savannah signed an agreement with ECOPROGRESSO − Quadrante Group − a Portuguese consultant in environmental, sustainability, climate change and resources management to lead on the creation of a decarbonisation strategy for Barroso.

“ABB is at the forefront of the automation and electrification that is required for our decarbonisation journey,” David Archer, CEO of Savannah, said. “We are pleased to have their expertise as we continue to execute on our decarbonisation strategy to build Europe’s first lithium spodumene production facility, as a critical supplier of low carbon raw materials for more sustainable batteries.”

Frederik Esterhuizen, Hub Manager Central and South Europe & Australia, Process Industries, ABB, said: “The development of Savannah’s Barroso lithium project provides us with an additional opportunity to showcase ABB’s leadership in industrial automation and smart electrification in Europe, applied towards key operations for the emerging European battery supply chain. This is another step as we continue to enable more sustainable and fossil fuel free industrial operations.”

ABB will also work towards binding agreements with Savannah in relation to the electrification, automation and digital solutions in the future.

SensOre signs DPT machine-learning tech pacts with Barton Gold, Deutsche Rohstoff

Base metals, Energy minerals, Mineral exploration, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , ,

SensOre Ltd and its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning DPT® technology are continuing to gain traction across the exploration sector, with the ASX-listed company having progressed work with Barton Gold Holdings Limited and Deutsche Rohstoff AG.

SensOre says its exploration tools predict the location and economic viability of deposits, generating information on endowment (size), grade and depth at a cell dimension small enough to quicken decision making and move directly from predicted target to drill testing cost effectively and with a narrower environmental footprint.

The company has, first, signed a terms sheet with Barton Gold to adapt and refine its Discriminant Predictive Targeting (DPT) technology to a circa-60,000 sq.km portion of the Gawler Craton in South Australia surrounding Barton Gold’s assets (pictured). The companies will focus on the targeting of gold and copper mineralisation.

Second, the company has agreed terms with Deutsche Rohstoff on the identification, acquisition and exploration of SensOre-generated lithium targets in Western Australia following what it says were “exciting results” from its first lithium-targeting program completed in December 2021.

The agreement with Barton is worth up to A$400,000 ($295,662) in co-funding to add data to the company’s South Australian data cube in the area surrounding Barton Gold’s tenements, with SensOre and Barton Gold operating in exclusive partnership on DPT targets generated in that area. Barton will also become a SensOre client and, subject to production from new gold and copper targets identified via DPT, SensOre will be entitled to additional royalty fees linked to gold ounces produced (or copper equivalent), it said.

Under the contract, Barton Gold will also join SensOre’s South Australian gold and copper prospectivity mapping initiative, which includes Hillgrove Resources, Argonaut Resources and Aroha Resources. The subsequent DPT engagement includes provision for integrating Barton Gold’s extensive data sets and deploying SensOre’s DPT in the area.

SensOre and Barton Gold will now advance the terms sheet to a detailed binding agreement ahead of commencement.

In the Western Australian lithium sector, meanwhile, SensOre stands to benefit from Deutsche Rohstoff as a partner through agreed targeting, acquisition and geological consulting fees for a minimum of eight accepted lithium targets, worth A$125,000 per target for a total of A$1 million.

The company will hold an initial participating interest of 30%, with Deutsche Rohstoff holding the balance. A preliminary budget of A$4 million has been agreed to fund exploration activity (A$2.8 million contributed by Deutsche Rohstoff and A$1.2 million by SensOre).

SensOre’s agreements with Deutsche Rohstoff and Barton Gold are the latest of several client engagements that leverage the potential of SensOre’s multidimensional Data Cube and AI-enhanced targeting technology, it said.

SensOre Chief Executive Officer, Richard Taylor, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Barton Gold who understand the tremendous upside potential that machine learning can bring to exploration and are already trialling machine learning technologies in the area including CSIRO’s machine-learning adaptive sampling platform. This partnership is an important milestone in offering Australia-wide prospectivity mapping and AI-enhanced minerals targeting to innovative explorers.”

He added on the agreement with Deutsche Rohstoff: “We look forward to collaborating with Deutsche Rohstoff to find the mines of tomorrow to reinforce Europe and Australia’s supply chain of battery and critical minerals needed to underpin global energy transition demand.”

Thiess to deliver mining services to Mount Holland lithium mine JV

Energy minerals, Explosives and blasting, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Thiess says it has been awarded a four-year contract by Covalent Lithium to deliver mining services at the Mount Holland lithium mine in Western Australia.

Covalent Lithium is a joint venture between Wesfarmers and Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM), one of the world’s largest lithium miners.

Under the contract, Thiess will deliver drill and blast services, mining of overburden and ore, and equipment maintenance with a strong focus on community development and environmental protection, it said. Thiess commenced mobilisation and early mining operations in January.

Thiess Executive Chairman and CEO, Michael Wright, said: “We are very pleased to be selected by Covalent to undertake mining at the Mount Holland mine. This award recognises our team’s ability to deliver sustainable mining solutions and deliver enduring value for our clients across diverse commodities.

“We look forward to working with Covalent Lithium to safely position their operations for optimal efficiency, productivity and cost performance, and contribute strongly to a clean energy future.”

The Mount Holland Mine produces lithium-bearing ore that is concentrated and refined to produce lithium hydroxide, a mineral used to enable electric vehicles and battery-based energy storage systems. EPC contractor, Primero, is currently constructing the Mt Holland concentrator to process ‘run of mine’ ore at a rate of circa-2 Mt/y and produce an output of circa-400,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate to feed the company’s integrated lithium hydroxide conversion refinery situated in Kwinana.

Savannah Resources signs up Quadrante Group company for Barroso ‘net zero’ lithium plan

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Savannah Resources, the European lithium development company, has signed an agreement with ECOPROGRESSO − Quadrante Group − a Portuguese consultant in environmental, sustainability, climate change and resources management to lead on the creation of a decarbonisation strategy for the Barroso lithium project in Portugal.

The appointment of ECOPROGRESSO, a leader in multiple aspects of environmental management including carbon management and mitigation and adaptation strategies on climate change, follows on from Savannah’s commitment last November to move towards net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions for the project while also targeting the reduction of its Scope 3 emissions.

The pact could see Savannah responsibly produce a ‘net zero’ lithium product at the project to help to ensure lithium entering the European value chain results in the production of ‘net zero’ lithium-ion batteries, it said.

ECOPROGRESSO’s work will consist of three phases:

  • Phase 1: Updating the estimate of the project’s greenhouse gases (‘GHG’) emissions based on international guidelines, and defining targets for overall greenhouse gas reductions;
  • Phase 2: Working with sector specialists in zero-emissions vehicle and equipment manufacturing, automation and control systems, to define and prioritise the key
    decarbonising initiatives;
  • Phase 3: Defining the implementation of a decarbonisation roadmap aligned with the overall project’s operational strategy, and designing a stakeholder engagement plan with specific initiatives to involve the main stakeholders across the value chain in the global emissions reduction strategy

Savannah said it expects the decarbonisation strategy to be defined and ready for implementation in the June quarter of 2022.

David Archer, CEO of Savannah, said: “The appointment of ECOPROGRESSO follows on from the commitment Savannah made last November on moving towards reducing the Scope 1 and 2 emissions at the Barroso lithium project to net zero once we are in production and, ultimately, to a position of net zero life-of-mine and targeting the reduction of its Scope 3 emissions in collaboration with ECOPROGRESSO and its future customers.

“Quadrante is a Portuguese company with significant domestic and international experience in disciplines such as carbon management meaning it is ideally placed to help us to devise and implement a focused strategy which will help to deliver our net zero goal in a timely manner. Their work, along with additional work we expect to undertake with other expert consultants and service providers in related fields, will be crucial in making the Barroso lithium project a source of low-carbon, ideally zero-carbon, lithium for use in the battery value chain of Europe. Making this commitment is not only an appropriate action for Savannah to take in terms of its own environmental responsibilities, but also helps to identify the Barroso lithium project to the growing number of consumers which place considerable emphasis and value on minimising the environmental impact associated with raw material supply.”

Margarida Magina, Head of Environment and Sustainability at QUADRANTE Group, said: “ECOPROGRESSO is delighted to be working with Savannah on devising and delivering its decarbonisation strategy for the Barroso lithium project. As a QUADRANTE Group company, we have specific environmental, mining, industry and energy know-how, which allows us to have a holistic approach, envisioning mining operations from development to decommissioning, with a strong commitment with mining decarbonization strategies. We believe we will deliver an integrated package which will cover all three scopes, driving the Barroso lithium project towards ‘net zero’.

“We propose to develop The Barroso lithium project’s decarbonisation strategy, identifying a set of initiatives, its benefits-cost assessment based on carbon abatement cost curve and a consolidated roadmap for implementation. Once the work is complete, all stakeholders will be able to see that the Project, and Portugal, can be a responsible, low carbon source of this critical raw material for Europe’s energy transition.”

Savannah Resources says Barroso is Western Europe’s most signicant spodumene lithium deposit with 27 Mt at 1.06% Li2O plus further mineral resource potential. The company is working on a definitive feasibility study for the project, but a 2018 scoping study outlined the building of a $109 million, 1.3 Mt/y run of mine project able to produce around 175,000 t/y of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate and generate a base case, post-tax net present value (8% discount) of $241 million.