Modern Mining March 2018

MINING News

Prospect establishes lithium carbonate pilot plant

ASX-listed Prospect Resources, which is developing the Arcadia lithium project near Harare in Zimbabwe, has established a labo- ratory complex in the Kwekwe area which is now fully functional and supporting the laboratory scale and pilot scale production of lithium carbonate. The laboratory achievements to date include the recruitment and training of a team of assayers, chemists and engineers and the development of an in-house capacity for metallurgical test work including flotation and leaching test work. In addition, the laboratory has implemented a laboratory scale lithium carbonate production process to demonstrate the amenability and viability of converting Arcadia 4 % Li 2 O petalite concentrates into battery- grade lithium carbonate. “This is a significant achievement for both Prospect Resources and Zimbabwe. Producing high-grade battery-quality lithium car- bonate that exceeds industry norms bodes well for the ultimate company goal of a large-scale lithium carbonate facility in-coun- try,” comments Hugh Warner, Prospect’s Chairman. “This entire process has been designed and built in-country using local skills and services, further demonstrating the business-friendly environ- ment that Zimbabwe is rapidly becoming.” Prospect has also recently announced that it has exercised its option to acquire the Good Days lithium project, which was first signed on 12 June 2017.

Prospect’s lithium carbonate pilot plant showing vacuum filters (photo: Prospect Resources). The 8 km 2 project is located in north-eastern Zimbabwe and contains numerous mineralised pegmatites, including historical workings for spodumene and tantalite (amongst other minerals) at the Good Days and Jordywyitt mines. 

March 2018  MODERN MINING  9