Name of the Project
Lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) conversion facility.

Location
Gwanyang province, South Korea.

Project Owner/s
Posco-Pilbara Minerals Lithium Solution Co, a joint venture (JV) between Pilbara Minerals and Posco.

Project Description
The JV will jointly build and operate a 43 000 t/y primary LHM chemical processing facility.

The conversion facility will comprise two production trains, each with a 21 500 t/y LHM production capacity. The facility will partly use Posco’s patented purification technology, which has been developed by Posco over the past ten years that will be licensed on a nonexclusive basis to the JV.

Pilbara Minerals will supply 315 000 t/y of chemical-grade spodumene concentrate on commercial terms to the conversion facility. This will be sourced from Pilbara Minerals’ existing installed production capacity at the Pilgangoora project.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The capital development costs for the conversion facility are estimated at a prefeasibility study level to be between $600-million and $650-million dollars (100% basis).

After allowing for initial working capital and preproduction financing costs, the total JV funding requirement is expected to be about $700-million to $750-million dollars.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction is expected to start in the March quarter of 2022, with commissioning expected from 2023.

Latest Developments
Posco is undertaking early works and the detailed engineering required to finalise the design and costing of the conversion facility.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Pilbara Minerals, tel +61 8 6266 6266.