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RC Drilling at Spargoville – Fugitive Prospect
Auric Mining Limited (ASX: AWJ) (Auric or the Company) is pleased to announce that results have been returned for a small RC drilling program recently completed at the Fugitive Prospect, Spargoville Project, Western Australia.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Six-hole RC program completed at Fugitive Prospect.
- Scissor holes lead to geological reinterpretation.
- Results include 2m @ 3.82g/t Au, 3m @ 1.18g/t Au and 1m @ 6.08g/t Au within a broader mineralised zone.
- Mineralised zone represents highly prospective target for further drilling.
MANAGEMENT COMMENT
Mr. Mark English, Managing Director:
“The Fugitive Prospect is midway between two prominent, high-grade gold deposits; Wattle Dam and Spargos Reward at Spargoville. Our first-pass drilling has highlighted similarities with both deposits. We’re looking forward to the next phase when we will get the opportunity to test that model.”
Mr. John Utley, Technical Director:
“Historic drilling has outlined a zone of supergene gold mineralisation at Fugitive. Whilst there’s only sparse drilling below 50m vertical depth, we can see evidence for a plumbing system extending beneath the shallow mineralisation. It’s an enticing drill target, over almost 700 metres of strike length.”
RC drilling at the Fugitive Prospect
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This article includes content from Auric Mining, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Justinian Cu-Au Prospect Extended Over 3km with 5.3g/t Au and Cu to 16%
Augustus Minerals (ASX: AUG; Augustus or the Company) is pleased to announce the latest soil sampling and follow-up rock chip results from the Company’s Ti-Tree project. Review of soil sampling data from the program started earlier in the year has identified several new targets (Justinian) and/or extensions to existing prospects (Crawford in the west of the project area) and possible extensions to Coo Creek.
Augustus Minerals has received new assays from ongoing soil sampling and rock chip sampling programs conducted on the Justinian prospect and adjacent areas at the Ti- Tree Project, in Western Australia
- High grade rock chips assaying up to 16% copper and up to 5.32g/t gold have been identified from field work over a 3.3 x 1.1km area
- The copper and gold identified in rock chips supports the anomalous soil sampling results from the recent regional survey.
- The soil and rock chip results define areas of Cu and Au anomalism related to splays of the Ti-Tree Shear wrapping around the Crawford Granite.
- Other anomalous soils have identified areas for further mapping and rock chip sampling north and west of Crawford Bore, and west of Coo Creek Broken Hill Style target.
- Elevated copper and lead in soils identified on a NE trending shear at Howell’s Gap
- Strong base metal anomalism over the Moogooree carbonate hosted Zn-Pb target.
Mapping and field work is continuing to increase the definition and tenor of anomalies to drill targets for future programs.
The soil samples, sieved in the field to pass -80#, were scanned by Portable Spectral Services (PSS) at their West Perth office under controlled conditions. In the western Ti-Tree area, above background levels of Cu, Pb and Zn were returned which defined adjacent or frequently coincident trends (Figure 2). Figure 3 shows Cu-in-soils and copper in rock chips. The validity of the soil anomalies was validated by some overlap between historic sampling using traditional wet assay methods and the new pXRF data.
Gold-in-soils was determined by 50g Fire Assay at Intertek’s Perth laboratory.
Figure 1 Prospects and VTEM Survey areas
Table 1 Significant Rock Chips Justinian (>0.1% Cu, 0.1g/t Au or 0.1% Pb).
Justinian Prospect
Review of soil sampling data from the regional soil program has identified several new targets and/or extensions to existing prospects.
Previous rock chip sampling1 identified gold to 10.1g/t at Justinian (Figures 1 and 2). Further rock chips within the soil anomaly have returned assays to 5.32g/t Au (WA001301) and 16% Cu (WA001310) (Table 1).
Justinian also shows anomalous levels of lead and zinc (Figure 2).
The mineralisation is dominantly hosted within the Leake Springs Metamorphics, a complex package of pelitic schist and fine-grained often garnet rich psammite.
Figures 3 and 4 show Au and Cu respectively in soil (pXRF results) and rock chips (four acid digest or aqua regia digest) at the Justinian prospect. The validity of the soil anomalies was validated by some overlap between historic sampling using traditional wet assay methods and the new pXRF data.
The Justinian prospect has been extended to cover a 3.2km x 1.1km area containing several distinct soil anomalies which appear to be coincident with diffracted splays of the Ti-Tree Shear around the Crawford Granite intrusions. It is possible that the diffraction around the more rigid granite bodies is causing dilation where the Ti-Tree Shear splays penetrate the host Leake Springs Metamorphics.
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This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Prospective IOCG Target Identified at the Coober Pedy Copper Project, SA
AusQuest Limited (ASX: AQD) is pleased to advise that detailed gravity over a regional magnetic/gravity target within its Coober Pedy Project in South Australia has confirmed a potential iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) target(s) near the north-eastern margin of the Gawler Craton, approximately 100km north-west of the Prominent Hill Copper-Gold deposit.
- Magnetic and gravity responses highlight the potential for IOCG mineralisation.
- Limited historical drilling data provides evidence for an alteration footprint.
- Project located at northern end of the world-class Olympic Dam IOCG Province.
AusQuest’s Managing Director, Graeme Drew, said the Company was encouraged by the results of the survey, which confirmed the potential for large-scale copper-gold discoveries within a Tier-1 mineral province.
“The recent gravity survey has provided support for the occurrence of IOCG-style mineralisation within our Coober Pedy Project, which is located at the northern end of a world-class IOCG Province which already hosts several major copper-(gold) deposits, including Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill, as shown in Figure 1,” he said.
Figure 1: Coober Pedy Project Location Plan showing major deposits in the area.
A detailed gravity survey was completed by Daishsat Geodetic Surveyors (400m x 100m grid with selected in-fill lines at 200m) outlining possible targets for drilling. A residual gravity image is provided below showing two anomalous areas within a broader gravity response (~5km x 2km), that are associated with historic drill-holes that were found to contain potassic alteration (Figure 2).
Correlation with available aeromagnetic data shows that the gravity anomalies are offset from the stronger magnetic responses, suggesting the possibility of hematite rather than magnetite as a possible cause for the gravity anomalies (Figure 3).
Figure 2: Residual Gravity Image showing location of gravity stations and historic drill-holes (Vale 2015) containing potassic alteration
Figure 3: First Vertical Derivative magnetic image plus residual gravity contours showing the location of historic drill-holes relative to the magnetic and gravity anomalies.
Analysis of available geochemical data contained within historical company reports provided by Government (PIRSA)*, was used to highlight the presence of potassic alteration within both drill-holes (GAW_RC01 and RC02), and the presence of additional proximity indicator elements, including an enrichment in iron (Fe) within drill-hole GAW_RC01, that suggests the possibility of a nearby IOCG system.
The close association of hematite and magnetite with IOCG mineralisation is well known in the IOCG Province of South Australia, which hosts the world-class deposits of Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill, and is the main reason why magnetic and gravity surveys are commonly used to identify targets for drilling in these areas.
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This article includes content from Ausquest limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Deep Diamond Drilling Commences on Large Copper-Mo Porphyry System
Augustus Minerals (ASX: AUG; Augustus or the Company) is pleased to advise that the EIS supported diamond drilling (DD) drill program has commenced at the Ti-Tree Project, ~200kms east of Carnarvon in Western Australia (Figure 1).
- Diamond Drilling has commenced to target a large copper-molybdenum porphyry system at Minnie Springs.
- The deeper diamond drilling is designed to target beneath a 3km long by 1km wide copper molybdenum soil anomaly.
- Previous drilling at Minnie Springs intersected mineralisation, geology and an alteration halo consistent with the zoning of a large porphyry copper / molybdenum system.
- The drilling is supported by a co-funded drilling grant of up to $110,000 for 700m deep diamond drill holes under the WA Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) for the Minnie Springs prospect.
Andrew Ford, GM Exploration
“The commencement of the diamond drilling marks an exciting time for Augustus, with the first hole testing below the existing molybdenum mineralised zone and targeting a high- grade copper core of a porphyry system”
The diamond program scheduled for completion mid-November.
Minnie Springs
Minnie Springs hosts porphyry related Copper - Mo mineralisation that was previously drilled by Equatorial Mining and Catalyst Metals. A molybdenum Exploration Target has previously been defined by SRK Consulting for the historic drilling area as outlined below (Table 1)1.
Alteration mapping suggests a potential tilting of the Minnie Springs system to the northeast, with untested potential for higher grade Copper - Mo mineralisation below existing drilling within the potassic altered zone (Figure 1).
Table 1. Exploration target size estimate for Minnie Springs Molybdenum depositNote: Based on ~300 ppm Mo cut-off at 100% recovery.
Clarifying Statement: The potential quantity and grade of the exploration target is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resources, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource.
Figure 1. Schematic cross section looking northwest showing porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit model (Pour and Hashim 2012 – inset at right) rotated 90 degrees and superimposed on existing and planned drilling2.
The program is supported by the WA Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) drilling grant of up to $110,000 for two 700m deep diamond drill holes at the Minnie Springs prospect.
The drilling is designed to provide a 550m deep, geological/geochemical/structural cross- section through the large 3km long by 1km wide copper molybdenum porphyry system.
Previous drilling at Minnie Springs intersected mineralisation, geology and alteration halo consistent with the zoning of a porphyry copper / moly system.
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This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
High-grade REE & P2O5 Trench Results Returned from Tundulu to Assist with Metallurgy
DY6 Metals Ltd (ASX: DY6, “DY6” or the “Company”) is pleased to report the results from its recent metallurgy sampling program at the Tundulu REE & Niobium carbonatite project in Malawi.
Highlights:
- A total of 63 metallurgical samples were collected from 37 sample locations along high-grade historic trench (TUTR10) at Tundulu
- Sampling results returned up to a high of 3.35% TREO and 27.5% P2O5 over the sampled 83m length of trench TUTR10:
- an exciting component of the sampling results is the average HREO, being 13% of the TREO basket
- undetectable to very low levels of deleterious elements including mercury, lead and cadmium in the phosphorus (P) rich rocks confirms the exceptional grade quality of the phosphate at Tundulu; and
- the sampling is representative of the mineralised Bastnaesite and Apatite carbonatite rock types exposed within the trench
- Selected samples are being collected to form a 150kg composite to be sent for metallurgical analysis
- 5 bioavailability composite samples were also taken across various historical trenches at Tundulu, targeting phosphate-rich rocks, to determine the solubility of phosphate in the samples and understand its potential for direct fertilization
- Majority of samples showed excellent P solubility (using 2% citric acid) of over 40%, with one returning solubility of 81%. This is above the industry threshold of 9.4% P2O5 solubility using Citric Acid as the reagent in the acid leach process
- 9 samples representing predominant lithologies at Tundulu have been collected and will also be sent to RSC Australia for petrographic examination to validate the historical mineralogical and rock composition
- Samples from the Company’s recent reconnaissance soil and rock chip program at the Ngala Hill PGE, Cu & Ni Project have been submitted to SGS South Africa for analysis, with results expected towards the end of the month
Tundulu REE Project
Tundulu is formed of several hills in a ring around a central vent called Nathace Hill where the majority of the historic surface sampling and drilling was undertaken. The predominant geology at Nathace Hill is REE apatite hosting carbonatites and feldspathic breccia and comprises a large inner agglomerate vent. Mineral rich carbonatite also occurs at Tundulu Hill east of Nathace and Makhanga Hill west of Nathace and is previously unexplored and prospective for REEs and niobium mineralisation.
REE mineralisation remains open towards southern and western directions of Nathace Hill and potentially extends beyond the boundaries of the previously established mineralised area over Tundulu Hill. Initial indications of mineralisation appear to be high in valuable MREEs and low measurable radioactive uranium
(U) and thorium (Th). This compares favourably to Lynas Rare Earths’ Mount Weld Central Lanthanide Deposit where Th and U concentrations in the ore are approximately 660 ppm and 25 ppm respectively.1
Figure 1. Map of Tundulu license area (EL0731)
A total of 63 metallurgical samples were collected from 37 sample locations along high-grade historic trench (TUTR10) at Tundulu.
Sampling results returned up to a high of 3.35% TREO and 27.5% P2O5 (average of 0.85% TREO and 8.26% P2O5) over the sampled 83m length of trench TUTR10. The average HREO component of the TREO basket was 13%, with high-value heavy rare earth elements Dy & Tb contributing 2.5%. Undetectable to very low levels of deleterious elements including mercury, lead and cadmium in the P-rich rocks confirms the exceptional grade quality of the phosphate at Tundulu.
The sampling is representative of the mineralised Bastnaesite and Apatite carbonatite rock types exposed within the trench. Select samples are being collected to form a 150kg composite to be sent to for metallurgical analysis.
5 bioavailability composite samples were also taken across various historical trenches at Tundulu, targeting phosphate rich rocks. ‘Bioavailability’ is used for analysis on phosphorous rock sources to determine the solubility of phosphate in soils. This analysis is useful in determining whether a particular phosphate rock type is suitable for direct fertiliser applications where the phosphate would be applied directly to the soil for uptake.
The analysis has been undertaken at Nagrom metallurgical and analytical laboratory in Kelmscott, Western Australia under standard atmospheric conditions using 2% citric acid. The majority of samples showed excellent phosphorus (P) solubility of over 40%, with one returning solubility of 81%. The exceptional quality of the phosphate-rich rocks at Tundulu is manifested by their undetectable to very low levels of deleterious elements including mercury, lead and cadmium.
The metallurgical test work will aim to evaluate historical studies undertaken at Tundulu and assess the findings from a 2017 metallurgical report, completed by the previous operators of the licence. The test work will initially focus on validating the beneficiation results achieved by the previous laboratory.
Conducting test work at this early stage enables the Company to ascertain the preliminary viability of producing two product streams: namely a REE commercially saleable concentrate and a mixed phosphate concentrate containing rare earths.
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This article includes content from DY6 Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Fifield Termination Update and Scandium Drilling to Commence
Rimfire Pacific Mining Limited (Rimfire or the Company) (ASX: RIM) provides the following update in respect of the termination of the Fifield Project Earn-in Agreement.
As previously disclosed:
1 the Company has terminated the Fifield Project Earn-in Agreement with Golden Plains Resources Pty Ltd (GPR) (see Rimfire ASX Announcement dated 26 September 2024); and
2 GPR disputed the termination and made an application to the Supreme Court of Victoria for an order (among others) that Rimfire be prevented from acting on its termination of the Fifield Earn-in Agreement (see Rimfire ASX Announcement dated 3 October 2024).
GPR’s application was heard by the Court on 16 October 2024, and resulted in:
- Rimfire agreeing to provide a revocable undertaking that it will not dispose of, create any encumbrance over or dissipate the Fifield Project or any mined product. The undertaking is an interim measure until it is varied by the Court or an arbitrator, or is revoked by Rimfire, or the dispute is finally determined by arbitration; and
- GPR being required to issue a notice of arbitration to determine the validity of the termination of the Fifield Project Earn-in Agreement by 23 October 2024.
The undertaking does not preclude Rimfire from carrying on exploration activities (including the currently proposed drilling) to advance the Fifield Project.
Rimfire’s exploration team has secured an aircore rig to drill an initial 50-hole (1,500 metre) program at the Murga Scandium Exploration Target commencing next Wednesday (23 October 2024).
The aircore holes will be solely funded by Rimfire and will infill existing 400m x 400m spaced holes and are part of a larger drilling program that will resume next month when the drill rig becomes available again.
The drilling is intended to support the conversion of the Murga Scandium Exploration Target of 100 to 200Mt at 100 to 200ppm Sc* (15 – 46Kt Sc Oxide) (See Rimfire ASX Announcement dated 9 September 2024**) into a Mineral Resource Estimate.
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This article includes content from Rimfire Pacific Mining Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Maximising value from critical minerals, battery metals and black mass: Metso’s Duncan Wyatt
‘We aim to create solutions to accelerate sustainability in the industries we operate in’
Duncan Wyatt is an internationally respected voice in the mineral process engineering and technology arena. Currently critical minerals and hydrometallurgical solutions director at Metso, he will bring valuable insights to discussions about sustainable processing of critical minerals and battery metals to this month’s IMARC in Sydney.
Richard Roberts, Mining Beacon editor, caught up with him ahead of the event.
Richard Roberts: You’ve been around the mineral processing industry for more than 30 years, starting in Tasmania (Renison tin), then South Australia (Geologics) before plus-20 years with Outotec in Australia and Canada. Now Metso for the past four years in Perth. Have you seen enough of the world, or do you still enjoy the travel part of working in mining?
Duncan Wyatt: When I first left Tasmania the travel aspect was certainly very appealing. I have been fortunate to have visited too many countries to count and every continent except Antarctica, although I did consider a one-year break to work on an Antarctic research project aligned with Tasmanian University before I moved to South Australia.
More than the travel it has been the people I have met at various mine sites and companies that have been the highlight. The Australian mining sector is very large but within it there are many connected communities and talented people.
Richard Roberts: Speaking of change, Australia has become the global supply hub for lithium minerals in recent years. What have been the most significant, or impactful, changes you’ve seen in the lithium and related processing arenas?
Duncan Wyatt: Yes, it has been a profound and rapid change. I was involved with mineral processing projects at both Greenbushes and Wodgina in the mid-90s but at that time tin and tantalum were the target minerals and spodumene was either rejected or less commercially viable.
However, the surge in personal electronic devices which oddly enough drove the demand for tin and tantalum also created the impetus for lithium usage to become widespread. Starting in 1985 with the development by Akira Yoshino, a Japanese chemist, of the first lithium battery technology, Sony began commercialisation for its range of products.
By the 1990s Greenbushes had begun supplying lithium to China for the production of lithium hydroxide for batteries. It is the latest surge in consumer demand that has driven the recent developments, with EV cars requiring an order of magnitude larger lithium battery than the personal electronic devices that started the industry.
Now battery-grade lithium hydroxide is produced here in Western Australia using local spodumene as a lithium source. Metso has been at the forefront of optimising the downstream processing of spodumene to lithium hydroxide. The Metso leach process is environmentally sustainable: acid and sulphate free, without undesired crystallised salts or by-products, producing inert and neutral mineral residue for re-use or disposal.
Richard Roberts: On the very topical battery materials/black mass recycling – or urban mining – front, what has most caught your attention, in terms of technology development, market trends, etc, in the past 2-3 years, and why?
Duncan Wyatt: Recycling of lithium batteries is an emerging field which has struggled for a commercial basis due to a number of factors. Feedstock quality and variability, as well as future trends for different lithium battery chemistries that would require alternative recycling process routes, have made this process challenging.
In the Asia Pacific region several companies in South Korea and China are utilising manufacturing scrap, which is material that has not made it through the rigorous EV lithium battery manufacturing process, as their main source of feed. These companies are typically EV manufacturers or strategically linked, with facilities local to their partner.
Metso technologies for solvent extraction, which play a key role in the recycling of black mass, are beginning to penetrate the processing space due to their highly efficient unit processes and based off our know-how in the field, which is centred around our R&D team in Pori, Finland. Our recent work with battery-grade nickel, cobalt and manganese producers has reduced recycling, MHP, or nickel matte processing stages from over 100 to between 20-30 using Metso technologies and know-how.
This trend away from traditional local processing designs and basic equipment is driven by commercial realities, focusing on total cost of ownership, including plant footprint, power and services requirements as well as operational costs. Complex processing facilities with too many processing stages also require expensive solvent extraction chemicals.
Richard Roberts: Battery black mass recycling is quickly emerging as a vital process for the future. “This is such a fast-moving field that it’s hard to predict the future,” says Metso’s Madeleine Scheidema. What sort of challenges/opportunities does this rate of change present?
Duncan Wyatt: The rapidly changing landscape of battery chemistry means we must be agile to meet the market needs and in particular those of our clients both new and existing. The challenge is to tackle the issues at hand while constantly looking to future trends to ensure our know-how and capabilities lead the sector.
Richard Roberts: Metso obviously inherited some technologies and process know-how through its merger with Outotec. Is it fair to say some of this tech/know-how has increased in value – given the range/weight of applications – and continues to grow in value?
Duncan Wyatt: Certainly, as an alternative to smelting, hydrometallurgical processing can be an option. Metso’s hydrometallurgical know-how in pressure leaching using proprietary autoclave designs as well as BIOX based leaching processes are leading the way in processing of both complex gold and copper deposits as well as historical tailings deposits.
Downstream, our solvent extraction technologies and processing design capabilities are driving our entry into the businesses that are central to the energy transition and EV manufacturing, as well as base metals applications for copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc. We hope our existing clients can benefit from these advancements and that our new clients, aiming to stay competitive in the circular energy transition economy, also benefit. With our purpose to enable sustainable modern life, we aim to create solutions to accelerate sustainability in the industries we operate in.
Richard Roberts: What has happened to pilot and other testing levels at Pori and other Metso facilities – specifically in these alkaline leach process, lithium hydroxide process and mineral/metal recycling areas – over the past, say, five years?
Duncan Wyatt: As I said, our know-how in Pori is paramount to both our ability to develop novel processes for these many new downstream processing routes key to battery manufacturing and recycling, as well as utilisation of more complex base and precious metal ore bodies. Our bench-scale and piloting facilities give us an great competitive advantage. One area where this is illustrated is in the new demonstration scale pilot plant to support Metso’s new pCAM Reactor and associated plant. The production of NCM [nickel, cobalt and manganese) based cathodes for lithium-based EV batteries make up about 50% of the world’s lithium battery requirements.
Metso has developed a proprietary reactor and associated process that we believe provides a more sustainable route to produce these key pre-cursor materials for the cathode manufacturing process.
Our demonstration scale plant at Pori enables clients developing plants worldwide to trial chemistries and pCAM product specifications to support commercialisation, knowing that Metso will remain their processing partner through concept demonstration, financial investment decision and project execution.
Richard Roberts: How much activity are you seeing in the next few years?
Duncan Wyatt: Activity in copper and gold is forecast to be high, with battery material lifting by the end of 2028. At Metso our activity level is always high. The project cycle is significant for many of these new process routes and associated projects - a lot of work is ongoing with testing, studies and plant designs.
Richard Roberts: Where, geographically, are you seeing high, or increasing, levels of activity? Are the drivers the same or different?
Duncan Wyatt: The adoption of EV cars in the Asia Pacific region is leading the world, with countries like Thailand seeing extraordinary acceleration in take-up rates. We know that this rate of adoption will fuel local interest in battery materials and recycling, and we are committed to offer our services in these regions where demand presents.
Richard Roberts: Obviously upfront cost/lifecycle costs are going to affect adoption rates, but what is separating the leading technologies in the market today from a design/performance point of view?
Duncan Wyatt: Whilst many are keen to enter the market, we have seen some companies make missteps either in underestimating the demanding requirements to produce battery grade end-products, or in the costs to execute projects and ramp them up to produce end-products compliant with the demanding specifications of the industry.
Looking solely at the upfront or “equipment costs” in isolation undervalues the presence of a major partner during the process development, implementation and optimisation stages of any project. Metso’s global footprint, resources and know-how hopefully provide the value proposition that will see us partner with many in this significant market sector in the near term and for many years to come.
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