I had similar questions so I asked Bruce last night.
My Email:
Good to see the pilot plant announcement today and makes sense to keep it within the pad area IMO. Just wondering is there any intention though to announce the expected cost of the pilot plant, funding for it and a timeline to construction and how long process testing will take once its built sometime soon as the announcement today was lacking those details? Will this pilot plant be for lithium hydroxide only or is the intention of Lilac still to get to BG LCE?
Also the announcement said we are going with the Lilac solution so is the Outotec solution now not in contention at all?
Looking forward to when we re-enter those old drill holes. Cant be a far away now surely.
Bruce's Reply tonight:
The costs will depend upon the final design which as we indicated in the announcement has commenced but not completed. The building and production time will also depend upon the design.
We have announced that Lilac has been successful in producing both with Cane Creek brine. The lithium hydroxide is produced from lithium carbonate at the moment using the Lilac process so it is possible that we could produce both. Again it will come to design and time to produce both before a decision is made. As you know there is a market for both.
As we announced the Lilac process is more economic but it is possible that Outotec will come up with something.
The NOI has been lodged, our experience has been that it takes 30 days but….
Guess it makes sense that they cant give details until they have the final design worked out.
I have queried him again to clarify about the being able to produce both lithium hydroxide and carbonate. Yes I think from the announcements we can do it but it is my understanding that the carbonate was not BG grade yet (just technical grade).
ASN Price at posting:
8.7¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
