Orocobre Planning to Hit Nameplate Production at Olaroz by December

Orocobre (TSX:ORL,ASX:ORE) provided an update on operations at its Olaroz Lithium Facility in Argentina. The company has seen some delays in ramping up production at the project, but is still targeting nameplate production for December 2015.
As quoted in the press release:

Over the past months, priority has been given to the identification and implementation of long term solutions for operational challenges, debottlenecking and equipment rectifications rather than maximizing daily production. This approach has necessitated numerous periods of testwork and equipment trials with consequent reduced flowrates through the Facility, which in turn has had a direct impact on the production performance of the plant versus forecast.
Production ramp up at the Olaroz Lithium Facility has continued to improve, with 93 tonnes produced in July, 143 tonnes produced in August and 250 tonnes scheduled to be produced in September. Nameplate production run rate is planned to be achieved in December 2015.
The Olaroz Lithium Facility will reach breakeven point on an operating cost basis (net of taxes paid or reimbursed), when production reaches approximately 650 tonnes per month, subject to variability in sales price. This level of production is expected to be achieved in October 2015.

Orocobre Managing Director, Richard Seville, said:

We remain positive about our progress at the Olaroz Lithium Facility despite falling short of our previously announced production forecast. We have continued to make rapid advances in removing bottlenecks and we improve our “know how” and operating practices on a daily basis. In particular, we are very pleased with the solutions we found to excess crystal loading on the polishing filters by finding a better technology using centrifuges and releasing the existing filters to recover additional lithium carbonate from tailings streams.
We will continue to work hard to deliver the outcomes necessary to reach nameplate capacity by year’s end and finish establishing Olaroz as a premier production site of high quality product for the battery and industrial sectors.

Click here for the full press release.