Salt Lake Potash begins commissioning Australia's first SOP process plant at Lake Way Project

2021-03-22 10:27:00

Over the coming weeks the utilities, conversion circuit, flotation circuits, crystallisers and dryer will be commissioned ahead of full load commissioning and SOP production in the June quarter.

Conveyer CV01 operating with first feed salts at the Lake Way SOP Project.

Salt Lake Potash Ltd (ASX:SO4) (LON:SO4) (OTCMKTS:WHELF) (FRA:W1D) has started front-end process plant commissioning at its Lake Way Sulphate of Potash Project near Wiluna, Western Australia.

It is a major milestone for the company as it is the first time that potassium-rich harvest salts, precipitated from lake aquifer brine, have been fed into an SOP plant in Australia.

The first harvest salts have been fed into the feed hopper, conveyed to the surge bin, run through the lump breaker and then into the attritioning feed tank at the front-end of the process plant.

Over the coming weeks the utilities, conversion circuit, flotation circuits, crystallisers and dryer will all be commissioned ahead of full load commissioning and SOP production in the June quarter.

First bucket of salt fed into the feed hopper.

“First SOP sales within sight”

SO4 chief executive officer Tony Swiericzuk said the company was on track for first production and SOP sales in the June quarter.

He said: “Commencing commissioning of Australia’s first Sulphate of Potash processing plant is a major milestone for SO4 and testament to the hard work of our owners’ team and GR Engineering Services.

“It is exciting to see the vision that was first conceived in late 2018 come to fruition less than two and a half years later.

“First SOP sales and revenue are now well within sight.”

SO4 and GRES teams at the commencement of plant commissioning.

Consultants from the plant designer, Wood Group, as well as vendors Veolia and Broadbent, amongst others, will be assisting in the commissioning process.

Conveyer CV02 and the process plant.

Next steps

Front-end plant commissioning was powered by 2-megawatt diesel generators which will continue to be used to progress the commissioning activities over coming weeks.

Gas supply lines and delivery station for the 10-megawatt power station have been fully commissioned, with power-on scheduled for late April to support final commissioning activities and production commencement.

The company's market cap sits at approximately A$335.1 million and shares have been more than 3% higher intra-day to A$0.51.