Tag Archives: Ta Khoa

Blackstone Minerals engages Metso for nickel, cobalt refinery plans in Vietnam

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Blackstone Minerals Ltd has announced the inclusion of Metso as the technology supplier for the definitive feasibility study of the company’s pCAM (precursor cathode active material) processing plant in its Ta Khoa refinery in Vietnam.

Metso is already involved in the design of the pCAM plant and will also conduct independent pCAM test work to validate the nickel and cobalt sulphates generated during the pilot program for suitability in pCAM generation, the OEM says.

Metso is currently designing the pCAM plant with Wood, providing experience and engineering technical support.

Scott Williamson, Managing Director at Blackstone Minerals Ltd, said: “Blackstone intends to leverage off Metso’s engineering services and know-how into the pCAM facility design, thus de-risking the project and confirming Blackstone’s intent to be a real player in the pCAM space. Securing another world leader to the Ta Khoa project is yet another jigsaw piece in the battery value chain puzzle. Blackstone continues to look forward to project success as it marches towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”

Blackstone highlighted the OEM’s high value technology in the context of the pCAM facility design, such as the modular OKTOP® reactors (with industrial references for scaling-up pCAM precipitation processes), Larox® filtration technologies and Courier® HX continuous product quality analyser equipment to enable precision control and real-time optimisation.

“Metso has shown that precursors precipitated with OKTOP reactor technology are proven to meet the required chemical and physical properties for high-performance cathode active material,” it said.

Rudi Rautenbach, Director, Minerals Sales, Asia-Pacific, Metso, said: “We are confident that our experience in nickel processing and battery metals technologies will contribute positively to the project. Many of our offerings that are planned to be used in this project are selected from our range of Planet Positive products, which are demonstrably more energy or water efficient than the industry benchmark or Metso’s previous generation products in the market, to help our customers cut their CO2 emissions and/or to achieve other sustainability priorities. We believe these are all in line with Blackstone’s objectives towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”

Metso says it provides sustainable technology and equipment for the entire lithium, nickel, and cobalt production chain from the mine to battery materials and black mass recycling with project scopes ranging from equipment packages to plant deliveries. Metso has its own pCAM testing facilities.

A February 2022 prefeasibility study on the 90%-owned Ta Khoa project outlined first concentrate production in in 2025, ramping up to nameplate design of 8 Mt/y in 2027. It expected a steady-state average annual nickel output (recovered in concentrate) of circa-18,000 t/y and steady-state average annual concentrate production of circa-225,000 t/y. The project also came with a steady-state refining capacity of 400,000 t/y, with first production of NCM811 precursor material commencing in early 2025.

GR Engineering to deliver feasibility study on Ta Khoa nickel project

Base metals, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Blackstone Minerals Ltd has appointed GR Engineering Services Ltd (GRES) as the primary consultant in the delivery of the Upstream Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for its Ta Khoa nickel project (TKNP), in Vietnam.

As the primary consultant, GRES will focus on the delivery of major workstreams including process infrastructure, metallurgical test work and co-disposal tailings storage. GRES will also coordinate, collaborate with and collate information from other key workstreams including mining studies, Blackstone said.

Blackstone says GRES has a proven track record and relevant experience to deliver the TKNP DFS, having completed a DFS for OZ Minerals on its West Musgrave nickel project and completed engineering, procurement and construction work on the Cosmos Expansion project (Western Areas Ltd), the Nova Nickel project (now IGO Ltd), the Cosmic Boy nickel project (Western Areas) and the Sinclair nickel project (now Northern Star Resources Ltd).

Further, GRES provides full life-cycle engineering services from feasibility studies through to delivery of projects under both EPC and engineering, procurement and construction management models, Blackstone said.

Scott Williamson, Blackstone’s Managing Director, said: “GRES adds to an already impressive team of engineers that are contributing to the design and development of the Ta Khoa Project.

“Blackstone continues to de-risk its development strategy both from a technical and funding perspective, and looks forward to updating the market as we take key steps towards a final investment decision.”

The TKNP is 160 km west of Hanoi in the Son La Province of Vietnam and includes an existing modern nickel mine built to Australian standards, which is currently being used to process nickel ore delivered by the underground bulk sample program, the company said. The Ban Phuc nickel mine successfully operated as a mechanised underground nickel mine from 2013 to 2016.

In February 2022, Blackstone completed a prefeasibility study for the TKNP, and presented this on an integrated basis with the proposed Ta Khoa Refinery (TKR) development. The TKR is being designed to have a refining capacity of 400,000 t/y, with feedstock provided from a combination of concentrate from the TKNP and third-party feed sources.