The crushing and ore sorting facility at Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora Operation has officially opened, marking the on-time, on-budget completion of the P680 Expansion Project.
The new facility is a significant technical development and represents the next frontier for hard-rock lithium processing. It’s the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and the largest in the world for lithium processing, with an ore sorting capacity of more than 1,000t per hour.
The delivery of this facility is the culmination of a few years of research, test work and project implementation by Pilbara Minerals. The project was facilitated by a $404 million capital expenditure investment by Pilbara Minerals and a US$250 million loan from the Federal Government.
Following the facility delivery, Pilgangoora production capacity increased by approximately 30 per cent, to up to 680,000t per annum. The opening also underpins the next phase of expansion to one million tonnes per annum through the P1000 Expansion Project.
More than 350 direct jobs were created during the two-year construction, and approximately 300 additional jobs above the pre-P680 baseline workforce, which will be sustained over the operating life of the mine.
The milestone was marked by an official ceremony and ribbon cutting onsite with attendees including Western Australian Minister for Energy, Reece Whitby, NAIF CEO, Craig Doyle, and Nyamal Elders Willie Jumbo and Biddi Norman, who represented the Traditional Owners of the land on which the operation is located.
Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Dale Henderson, said the completion of the P680 Project marked an important milestone in the company’s growth journey.
“The P680 Project is the cornerstone of our strategic growth strategy to unlock the potential of the Pilgangoora asset.
“The benefits delivered by the P680 Project are material, both through the increase in production capacity, but also by the commercial scale demonstration of industry leading sustainable technology that improves overall ore recovery in mining and reduces energy intensity through waste rejection. This further extends Pilbara Minerals’ competitive position as one of the world’s leading lithium producers.”
Mr Henderson said the project’s success can be attributed to the company’s strong partnerships with the government, the community, its contractors, and its exceptional team’s know-how.
“This achievement is a credit to everyone involved and one that will create more value for the Western Australian economy.
“Financing support from the Australian Government for the development of critical minerals underpinned the P680 Project and signals the government’s strong commitment to ensuring Australia capitalises on the economic opportunities presented by the global clean energy transition.”
Mr Whitby said the project will support Western Australia’s decarbonisation.
“The Cook Labor Government is futureproofing the economy through its record investment in climate action. Today’s announcement means 300 additional jobs for regional Western Australia that will underpin our state’s ambitions of becoming a major player in the global energy transition.”
The $404 million P680 Project was supported through loans from Export Finance Australia and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.
The scale benefits delivered through these phased expansions further strengthen Pilbara Minerals as a low-cost producer and position the company to fully capitalise on future demand.
Featured image: Jason Benz Bennee/shutterstock.com
