RE: Mining Conference in Cornwall12 Sep 2023 18:11
LovelyBoy
Key points from trip around British Lithium/Imerys pilot plant
The BL of extracting Lithium from the rock is one of the simplest and most efficient. Several of the processes are patented by BL. They expect to be producing 20,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate per annum when their main plant comes on stream. At full scale they expect the production cost to be around $6-7,000 per tonne. This compares well with other rock production methods, but may be more than the cost of production from brine (underground brine not seawater)
BL expect that the gaining of planning permission will take 4 years! The general election and council elections are expected to cause delays and the EA is short staffed. (Surely HMG should do something about that! )
The site is well located, an electricity supply runs nearby as does a road link. The jv with Imerys gives 1500 acres of already industrialised land, not only ore bearing but also for waste disposal. One advantage that Bl's process has is not producing any unpleasant waste products.
To begin with the proven 40m tonnes of ore can produce 2m tonnes per annum for 20 years which will give around 20,000 tonnes of carbonate per annum. But BL thinks it can boost its reserves 4x up to 160m tonnes. The Cornish Alps are unlikely to be a source of ore as the amount of mica in the waste tipped varies considerably . The other potential by product- China Clay- is not thought likely to have a significant value.
It seems to me the UK has just what it needs here,- a critical metal in abundance and if the authorities could get their act together it could come on stream when needed by the likes of JLR, Nissan and Mini. On present form it will arrive in 2029......earliest.
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