Projects
STRATEGY UPDATE AT GOULAMINA BUSHVELD’S BFS COMPLETE
Location: Mali
Phase:
Feasibility
Resource:
Lithium Location: Madagascar
Phase:
Feasibility
Resource: Coal
A definitive feasibility study (DFS) is well under way at Australian
company Birimian’s Goulamina lithium project in Mali. Bushveld Minerals has completed the bankable feasibility
study (BFS) for the power component of the Imaloto
coal project in Madagascar. According to Prince Nyati,
CEO of Lemur Holdings, this achievement represents
a key milestone and shows that the Imaloto project is
feasible and can deliver significant economic returns.
A positive pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the project was completed
in July 2018. The PFS envisaged the development of a two-million
tonnes per annum (tpa) mill and mine with a minimum life of 16
years, producing 362 000tpa of spodumene concentrate. Capital
cost was predicted at AUD196-million (including contingency) and
EBITDA averages AUD171-million per annum. The environmental
permit for the project has been granted and according to a statement
by the company, the exploitation permit is the next step in the
permitting process.
Three areas have been targeted for completion by the third quarter of
2019 to form the basis of project design:
• Mineral resources and ore reserves to improve resource
categorisation allowing increases to ore reserves and to improve
confidence levels in the mineral resources and ore reserves;
• Metallurgical recovery and concentrate quality, the focus of which
will be on improving lithium (LiO 2 ) recovery from the 70% achieved
in the PFS. Spodumene concentrate quality will also be targeted.
• Water and road infrastructure optimisation. Adequate quality and
volume of water are key to the project and further studies will be
initiated to improve confidence in the water resources available.
In addition, with the transport of spodumene concentrate to port
accounting for almost one third of operating costs, any optimisation
in this area will yield significant benefits to the project economics. b
“The Imaloto power project is the most advanced
independent power project (IPP) baseload project in
Madagascar. It will have transformational developmental
benefits for the country’s south-west region, where the
government has already implemented significant road
infrastructure expansion. The coal reserve and transmission
line are capable to support the generation capacity
in excess of 60MW in the medium to long term as
suppressed demand is unlocked in the region,” says Nyati.
“Furthermore, the peaceful democratic elections in
Madagascar held in December 2018 are a welcome
development and a positive indication for projects in the
country. With our development partner, Sinohydro, and
advanced funding discussions with financial institutions,
the Imaloto project remains on track to supply electricity
to south-western Madagascar,” Nyati adds.
Lemur and its technical advisors completed the review
of the power BFS that was prepared by Sinohydro in the
last quarter of 2018. b
DRA PARTNERS WITH KAMOA
DRA
Location: DRC
Phase:
Development
Resource: Copper
Engineering contractor DRA Global has
been awarded the basic engineering contract
for the Kakula mine portion of Ivanhoe
Mines’ greater Kamoa-Kakula Project in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Kamoa Copper SA, a joint venture between
Ivanhoe Mines, the Zijin Mining Group, and
the government of the DRC, will develop
the copper mine. The mine is expected to
yield about six million tonnes per annum
(Mtpa) in its first phase. The Kakula resource
is estimated at 174 million tons at a grade of
5.62% copper. b
8 AFRICAN MINING MAY - JUNE 2019
Kakula has an estimated resource of 174 million tonnes at a grade of 5.62% copper.
www.africanmining.co.za