Commissioning of Integrated Delta Processing Facility3 Jun 2024 07:17
Commissioning of Integrated Delta Processing Plant
Keras Resources plc (AIM: KRS) ("Keras") is pleased to announce that dry commissioning ("C1"), of its Integrated Granulator Plant ("Granulator Plant") at its newly acquired Delta processing facility ("Delta") has commenced on schedule. C1 involves energisation of motors for directional checking, start-up sequencing, instrument set-up and confirmation that all installed items meet design requirements under no-load conditions without dry feed materials or binding and dust control liquids. With all equipment installed, C1 is a significant milestone for Keras's 100% owned Falcon Isle Resources Corp ("Falcon Isle").
Given the scale of what was required to transition from an outsourced production and ownership model operating from three rental facilities to the Company's wholly owned, fully integrated production facility at Delta in just four months, which was underpinned by the conclusion of the Phosul Utah LLC joint venture ("JV") as announced on 22 January 2024, has been an outstanding achievement by the project team as well as the Company's supportive funding partners.
The project team will now work towards wet commissioning under load conditions with granulator binder fluids ("C2") during the first half of June 2024 which will initially comprise test granulation of Falcon Isle's rock phosphate before introducing the additional constituents of the Phosul® final product. The Granulator Plant has a nameplate capacity of 5 tonnes per hour of finished product. At steady-state single shift operation, the Granulator Plant is planned to produce approximately 520 tons per month ("tpm"), working towards upgrading to double shift operations during the fourth quarter of 2024 to produce approximately 920tpm of saleable bulk Phosul® granules. The Phosul® formula comprises 80% of 50 mesh PhosAgri feed produced from ore mined at the Diamond Creek mine, Falcon Isle's wholly owned, high grade organic phosphate mine. Falcon Isle currently holds inventory of approximately 4,250tons of 50# PhosAgri product, sufficient to cover Granulator Plant operations for the rest of 2024 which, importantly, will have a positive impact on cashflow with all mining and crushing costs already expensed.
Onwards, and most definitely upwards!
GLA