Giyani Metals Corp Partners With Met63 For The Construction Of A Demonstration Plant For The K.Hill Battery Manganese Project
Giyani Metals Corp Partners With Met63 For The Construction Of A Demonstration Plant For The K.Hill Battery Manganese Project. Giyani Metals Corp. developer of the K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana, is pleased to announce that it has signed a design-build contract with specialist South African-based hydrometallurgical engineering firm Met63 (Pty) Ltd. for the construction of a demonstration plant.
The Contract covers the engineering, construction and commissioning of the Demo Plant, on an open book and cost-reimbursable basis. The capital expenditure of approximately USD9.2 million, plus incentives for Met63 based on delivery of the Demo Plant on time, within budget and on specification, will be funded from the Company’s existing cash resources. Met63 is a specialist hydrometallurgical engineering and consulting company based in South Africa with a team that has extensive experience in designing hydrometallurgical circuits and specializes in advanced modular process plants for battery-grade metals.
The Demo Plant is designed for a continuous process, so that HPMSM crystals meeting the stringent product specifications set by potential off-takers can be produced in a steady state operation. To support the continuous process, the Demo Plant will be equipped with a sophisticated instrumentation and control system that also provides the flexibility to use the Demo Plant for de-risking the commercial plant development and as a training facility. The Demo Plant can produce up to 600kg of dry HPMSM crystals per day depending on feedstock characteristics.
Met63 and the Company have selected a construction site in Johannesburg where the Demo Plant will be commissioned and operated before expected relocation to Botswana. Completion of the construction of the Demo Plant is currently anticipated by mid-2023 with commissioning, ramp-up and first HPMSM product samples expected to be available for shipment in H2 2023. This timeline has been made possible by the early procurement of the longest lead items, in particular the two crystallizers and associated accessories that were ordered in March and June 2022, which are currently scheduled for delivery in Q1 2023, and make up the entire crystallization unit of the Demo Plant that will allow for it to operate on a continuous process.
The Company intends to dispatch HPMSM product to potential off-takers in the European, North American and Asian markets, a number of whom have already requested samples. Giyani’s HPMSM product will then be tested to verify quality and performance characteristics prior to the conclusion of any potential off-take contracts. Robin Birchall, CEO of the Company, commented:“The Demo Plant is a cornerstone of our strategy for full commercial development. Its objectives are to validate our process flowsheet, de-risk commercial development of K.Hill and facilitate off-take contracts with battery and OEM customers. Signing this contract with Met63, an experienced specialist hydrometallurgical engineering firm with a proven track record in engineering and construction of battery-grade metal projects, is another step towards production and first shipments of HPMSM in the second half of 2023.”
Birchall continued to say, “The support of our shareholders has allowed us to fund the construction and commissioning of a larger Demo Plant than originally envisaged, with a capacity of up to 600kg per day, despite inflationary pressures and cost increases across the mining industry. An increasing number of OEMs have highlighted the potential of manganese-rich cathodes and so our enlarged facility will be able to cater for increased demand for HPMSM samples. Our low carbon process makes Giyani an ideal partner for the supply of this critical battery material. With several key catalysts on the horizon, including the release of our feasibility study on K.Hill, we are entering a very exciting phase of development.”
