https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Birimian reports cost savings at Mali lithium project

Birimian reports cost savings at Mali lithium project

Photo by Bloomberg

20th March 2018

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

Font size: - +

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Lithium hopeful Birimian has reported a number of cost cuts at its Goulamina project, in Mali, following the optimisation of the prefeasibility study (PFS).

Birimian on Tuesday reported that transport and handling costs have reduced by an estimated 47%, from $187/t to $100/t, while power costs could reduce by at least 25%, and fuel costs by about 15%.

The company had received advice from transport contractors regarding the reliability and capacity of Mali’s rail links to port, with the company taking the decision to replace the proposed hybrid road-rail transport model with a road-only transport model, to deliver the concentrate to port.

Birimian said that while plans have been announced to significantly upgrade the railway links from Mali to Senegal and between Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, these projects would not be completed within a timeframe that would allow for consideration for the Goulamina project

The ASX-listed company told shareholders that the adoption of a road-only transport option would result in a capital cost saving of $3.1-million for the Goulamina project.

CEO Greg Walker said on Tuesday that as a result of the cost saving initiatives, Birimian was on track to meet its target of achieving an operating cost of less than $300/t in the revised PFS.

“The cost reductions identified to date will have a significant positive impact on our ability to deliver a highly competitive operation, making Goulamina one of the world’s leading low-cost hard rock lithium projects.”

“Our target was to reduce Goulamina’s C1 operating costs from $379/t to less than $300/t and we are very pleased to have outperformed this measure.”

The October PFS estimated a capital cost to develop the Goulamina project of between $86.9-million and $142-million, with the net present value ranging between $85.6-million and $126.4-million. The PFS also estimated that subject to the development option preferred, the project life could range between 9 and 14 years, with the mine processing between 14-million tonnes and 20.6-million tonnes of ore.

Edited by Mariaan Webb
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd.
Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd.

ENVASS is a customer and solutions-driven environmental consultancy with established divisions, serviced by highly qualified and experienced...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.066 0.116s - 156pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now