Running discussion on SP, page-42831

The company says that the carbonate and hydroxide manufacturers are happy to buy the sulphate as it is a pre-curser to both carbonate and hydroxide anyway and the refined product will be a lot less bulky to ship, thereby reducing one of the single largest costs at the project – transport.
It might also have something to do with the fact that the lithium spodumene product has been modelled with a sale price of US$674/tonne whilst lithium sulphate fetches over US$7,000/tonne.
Both plants will cost roughly the same give or take a few million and bring in roughly the same overall sales revenues give or take ten percent.
Mr Ferguson said; “The Manono Project economics are enhanced by the addition of the high value-added Primary Lithium Sulphate product. The project is also highly sensitive to market pricing of SC6. Roskill has stated its 20-year price forecast sees an increase in unit value as demand increases and as such, the project becomes incrementally more robust and profitable.”

The capex for Manono is estimated at US$545 million and the company is now in advanced discussions with international debt providers and with an expected post-tax payback period of just 2.25 year, the project looks like it can handle plenty of debt.

New DFS should be excellent with especially pay back period less than 1.5 years.

Music to financiers.
ALL IMO