Galaxy Produces First Lithium Carbonate at Jiangsu Plant
Perth, April 10, 2012 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Galaxy Resources Limited (
ASX:GXY) is pleased to announce the first production of lithium carbonate at its wholly-owned Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant (Jiangsu or the Plant) in China, following the successful completion of hot commissioning.
During March 2012, the back end of the Plant - including purification, filtration, drying, micronising, and packaging plants - operated on a continuous basis, with product recycled back to the process.
Galaxy said the calcination kiln was fired to operating temperature (1,080 degrees Celsius), and has been successfully producing beta spodumene since mid March. The remainder of the Plant - including the sodium sulphate plant, utilities, and leach area - was brought online without incident. The sulphuric acid addition was established at the end of March, with the sulphation kiln producing sulphated beta spodumene which, in turn, was fed through the Plant. All process flows were then brought on line across the entire Plant, culminating in successful production of lithium carbonate.
Galaxy Managing Director, Iggy Tan, said Galaxy has brought two projects into production in less than two years, and that first product at Jiangsu was a major step for the Company.
"Producing first lithium carbonate at the Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant proves the success of the Plant's design and processes. Galaxy's focus now is maintaining plant stability, achieving continuous operation and product quality. The product will need to move continuously through the process plant before we can get the quality to the required level. We expect a 12 month ramp-up of the Plant to meet its 17,000 tpa design capacity.
"In addition, the Galaxy team at Jiangsu is to be commended for bringing a large and significant chemical plant online within a tight time frame. We indicated previously that we expected first product at the end of March 2012, and the Jiangsu team has delivered on this goal. This is truly the point where we have become a vertically-integrated lithium company," Mr Tan said.
The A$100 million Jiangsu Plant is the first fully-automated lithium carbonate plant in China and one of the most highly sophisticated plants of its kind in the world.
About Galaxy Resources Limited
Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX:GXY) (OTCMKTS:GALXF) is an international S&P / ASX 200 Index company with lithium production facilities, hard rock mines and brine assets in Australia, Canada and Argentina. It wholly owns and operates the Mt Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe Western Australia, which is currently producing spodumene and tantalum concentrate, and the James Bay lithium pegmatite project in Quebec, Canada.
Galaxy is advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida lithium and potash brine project in Argentina situated in the lithium triangle (where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet), which is currently the source of 60% of global lithium production. Sal de Vida has excellent potential as a low cost brine-based lithium carbonate production facility.
Lithium compounds are used in the manufacture of ceramics, glass, and consumer electronics and are an essential cathode material for long life lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as mass energy storage systems. Galaxy is bullish about the global lithium demand outlook and is aiming to become a major producer of lithium products.
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