Galan Lithium to increase scope of lithium piloting stage at Hombre Muerto West
Galan Lithium says a resource update for HMW is on track for delivery in the September quarter.
Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) has submitted an application to increase the scope of the piloting stage at its wholly-owned Hombre Muerto West project in Argentina to 4,000 tonnes per annum lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
The submission includes the construction of an additional 1.2 square kilometres of evaporation ponds, a reagents treatment area, administration and warehouse facilities, laboratory, power supply (including solar plant) as well as an original small pilot facility to trial the production of lithium carbonate.
If the application is approved, Galan could potentially commence construction of an expanded pond system in mid-2023, allowing it to accelerate the ramp up of brine evaporation.
High quality concentrate
The increased scope is expected to deliver a first-phase, high-quality concentrate grading 6% lithium on a semi-commercial scale.
It will also de-risk the full-scale pond construction methodology and evaporation path, and provide more defined cost information for final capital and operating estimates.
The company said concentrated brine from the piloting stage could be added to the project’s production scale-up which is currently under evaluation.
If this happened, it would reduce the overall ramp up timeframe of the full-scale development.
Shortening timeframes
Galan managing director JP Vargas de la Vega said the larger pilot pond system could be included in the total pond design at Hombre Muerto West, significantly shortening construction and production timelines.
“The key drivers of this expanded pilot permit application fit our steady and staged approach, and our team’s progressive thinking around alternatives to fast-track lithium production from this project,” he said.
“Scaling to semi-commercial pilot plant testing delivers significant ancillary and de-risking benefits, including the construction of larger ponds which are similar to those which will be used during the project’s full-scale production stage.”
He said a permitting application for full-scale production — which will total 20,000tpa LCE — was on track to be submitted in the new year.