Name of the Project
Idaho cobalt project (ICP).

Location
US.

Client
eCobalt Solutions.

Project Description
eCobalt Solutions has announced positive economics from the feasibility study on the ICP.

The ICP will be a vertically integrated project designed to produce cobalt chemicals for the rechargeable batteries market in addition to by-products of copper concentrate, copper sulphate, magnesium sulphate and gold.

The feasibility study is based on an underground mine with a target production rate of 800 t/d and a life-of-mine production of 31.8-million pounds of cobalt, 42.8-million pounds of copper and 39 241 oz of gold.

The project has an estimated 12.5-year mine life, with a weighted average production of 2.4-million pounds of cobalt a year, 3.3-million pounds of copper a year and 3 000 oz of gold a year.

Additionally, a cobalt production facility (CPF), a hydrometallurgical refining operation located on a railhead in Blackfoot, Idaho, is expected to be built.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax net present value, at 7.5% discount rate, of $176.9-million and an internal rate of return of 25.1%, with a payback of 2.9 years.

Value
Initial capital costs have been estimated at $186.7-million.

Duration
The project has a preproduction period of 24 months.

Latest Developments
Construction at eCobalt Solutions’ Idaho cobalt project continues to advance on time and within budget.

The project remains on target for commercial production to begin in 2020.

Development of the concentrate roasting process using a rotary kiln is continuing as planned.

Bench scale testing, conducted by Expert Processing Solutions, a Dundee Sustainable Technologies partner laboratory, was completed in July.

Pilot-level testing to confirm the updated process flowsheet was also conducted in July by Hazen Research.

This test confirmed stable process temperature and material flow conditions to volatilise the arsenic from the concentrate into the offgas stream identified in the bench scale tests.

Additional pilot testing is ongoing to confirm roasting off-gas management system design criteria to efficiently remove the arsenic from the kiln offgases for vitrification.

As development advances, ongoing testing will allow for additional improvements where appropriate, ensure there is a high level of confidence in the flowsheet for the cobalt production facility and contribute to further derisking the project by establishing properly tested metallurgical and processing parameters.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Expert Processing Solutions (bench scale testing) and Hazen Research (pilot-level testing)

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
eCobalt Solutions, tel +1 604 682 6229 or email inform@eCobalt.com.