PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed lithium explorer Atlantic Lithium has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ghanian University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to undertake a definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the viability of producing feldspar feedstock as a by-product of spodumene production at the Ewoyaa lithium project.

The DFS into the Ewoyaa project, released in July this year, did not consider the production of feldspar.

Atlantic on Tuesday said that the partnership with UMaT will assess the prospective market conditions and commercial, technical and financial viability of feldspar, silica and muscovite production as by-products. The outcomes of this study will form a recommendation on the viability of feldspar production, and a high-level implementation schedule for the work.

“We believe that the Ewoyaa lithium project represents a major potential source of feldspar, identified as a by-product of spodumene concentrate production at the proposed dense media separation plant, which is widely used in ceramics and associated industries,” said Atlantic CEO Keith Muller, adding that the commercialisation of feldspar at Ewoyaa offered the potential to generate significant value for Ghana, in addition to the project’s lithium production.

“In collaboration with UMaT, we are undertaking a study, based on the analysis of market, technical, financial and risk considerations, to determine the viability of producing and processing feldspar.

“We hope to help invigorate Ghana’s ceramics market through the long-term supply of feldspar from Ewoyaa, stimulating the creation of new jobs and the development of associated businesses in the industry in the process. This way, Atlantic Lithium hopes to deliver further synergetic benefits to local stakeholders from the Ewoyaa lithium project,” Muller said.

“The production of feldspar also offers the possibility to reduce the waste footprint of the mine, providing potential environmental benefits alongside win-win social and commercial benefits.

“In line with the feldspar study, we have commenced sodium analysis of archive drilling pulps targeted to deliver a maiden feldspar mineral resource estimate, which could potentially further enhance the project’s economics.”

The previously completed DFS estimated a capital cost of $185-million to develop the operation, based on a 3.6-million-tonne spodumene concentrate production over a mine life of 12 years. The DFS estimated a post-tax net present value of $1.5-billion with a free cash flow of $2.4-billion and life-of-mine revenues of $6.6-billion.

The study also estimated C1 cash operating costs of $377/t of concentrate free-on-board, after by-product credits from conventional opencut mining, and an all-in sustaining cost of $610/t.