Impact Minerals could be on the cusp of delivering a significant low-cost High Purity Alumina (HPA) project, following the release of encouraging results from a pre-feasibility study into its Lake Hope venture in Western Australia.
According to the company, the study indicates the project’s potential to be one of the world’s lowest-cost producers of HPA.
Located 500 kilometers southeast of Perth, the Lake Hope project holds strong economic values, with a net present value of $1.165 billion.
“In just over two short years since acquiring the rights to the project, we have proven that Lake Hope’s unique natural feedstock, combined with a straight forward flowsheet, offers one of the most capital-efficient and environmentally responsible pathways to high-purity alumina production globally,” Impact Minerals managing director Mike Jones said.
“The project’s strong margins, minimal carbon footprint, and ability to deliver 4N product without critical reagents or complex processing provides us with a clear competitive advantage as the HPA market enters a phase of rapid growth.”
Lake Hope’s maiden ore reserve of 1.7 million tonnes at 26 per cent aluminium oxide provides 450,000 tonnes (t) of contained alumina.
The mine has the potential to be a major producer of HPA, with steady-state production of 10,000t per annum following a two-year ramp up and an initial 33-year mine life.
Impact Minerals will now move to take an 80 per cent ownership of Playa One, which owns Lake Hope and two key patents.
Next, work will begin on a definitive feasibility study phase, which will include the construction of a pilot plant.
“With the PFS now complete, our next steps are clear: we will advance the detailed engineering required to bring Lake Hope into production, which will revolve around our exciting federal government co-funded membrane research project now underway in conjunction with Edith Cowan University and CPC Engineering,” Jones said.
