Le lithium, le prix en baisse aprés la flambée.

[energy_isere]

Le Zimbabwe interdit les exportations de minerai de lithium non transformé

Agence Ecofin 22 dec 2022

Le Zimbabwe est le seul pays africain producteur de lithium. Le pays dispose d’importantes réserves qui attirent les compagnies minières étrangères, mais aussi des mineurs individuels, dans un contexte d’envolée des prix de ce produit essentiel aux batteries des véhicules électriques.

Au Zimbabwe, les mineurs artisanaux ne pourront plus exporter du minerai brut de lithium. C’est ce qu’a décidé le ministère des Mines dans une note relayée cette semaine par Reuters. Alors que la demande mondiale et les prix du lithium sont en hausse, du fait de l’explosion de la production de véhicules électriques (le lithium est utilisé dans les batteries de ces véhicules), plusieurs mineurs artisanaux ont investi les terres zimbabwéennes.

Selon le président Emmerson Mnangagwa, ils extraient du minerai dans les mines abandonnées pour le vendre dans les pays voisins. Il faut souligner que la mesure ne vise pas les mines industrielles qui devraient bientôt entrer en production, car les compagnies actives sur ces projets exporteront du concentré de lithium.

Le gouvernement les incite néanmoins à mettre en place des unités locales pour la transformation du produit en matériau utilisable directement par l’industrie des véhicules électriques. Harare a également conclu fin novembre un accord avec TsingShan Holding pour la construction d’une usine production de concentrés de lithium.

Alors que Bikita est actuellement la seule mine industrielle produisant du lithium au Zimbabwe, rappelons que les sociétés Premier African Minerals et Huayou Cobalt font partie des compagnies qui comptent se lancer dans l’exportation du métal dès 2023.

https://www.agenceecofin.com/metaux/221 ... transforme

[energy_isere]

De nouveaux prospects au Canada changent de main :

Koba Resources acquires two Canadian lithium-pegmatite projects
Koba also intends to acquire the Python project in Western Australia.

December 15, 2022

Australian explorer Koba Resources has acquired the JB1 and Davidson lithium pegmatite projects in Canada from an undisclosed firm to strengthen its battery metals portfolio.

Located in the James Bay lithium province, the JB1 Lithium Project is made of two granted claim blocks that cover a total area of approximately 190km².

Located in western Ontario, the Davidson Lithium Project includes 11 granted claims covering an area of 50km².

Highly prospective for lithium mineralisation, the Davidson project is situated adjacent to Koba’s Whitlock Lithium Project which lies immediately along the strike from the Tanco Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum Pegmatite Mine.

Koba managing director and CEO Ben Vallerine said: “The James Bay area is emerging as a world-class lithium district. Multiple large lithium resources have been delineated in close proximity to the company’s new JB1 Lithium Project.

“And our new Davidson Lithium Project is strategically located along strike from our Whitlock Lithium Project. It is a logical addition to our landholding with operational synergies and most importantly, it provides us additional opportunities to discover lithium-bearing pegmatites along strike from the world-class Tanco Mine – Canada’s only operating lithium mine.”

Koba said that lithium exploration at the two projects has never been carried out despite their proximity to multiple, large lithium resources.

Furthermore, the firm signed an option agreement to acquire the Python Lithium Project, which is highly prospective for lithium-bearing pegmatites, in Western Australia.

The project comprises a 60km² granted exploration licence in the Pilbara region, which is said to be one of the world’s premier lithium districts.

Koba expects the systematic implementation of targeted exploration programmes at the Python Lithium Project to result in the discovery of lithium-bearing pegmatites.

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/ ... n-lithium/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 27 nov 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2358640#p2358640

Mise en service du premier module de production de la mine de lithium de Grota do Cirilo au Brésil

Sigma Lithium begins Brazil mine plant commissioning

Cecilia Jamasmie | December 21, 2022


Commissioning of dry plant at Grota do Cirilo lithium project. (Image courtesy of Sigma Lithium.)

Sigma Lithium has started commissioning the first module of the production plant – the Greentech Plant – at its 100%-owned Grota do Cirilo lithium project in Minas Gerais, Brazil.


The Canadian miner said the dry module crushing circuit began operating on time and within budget, adding it expected the full plant to be up and running by February 2023.

Commissioning on the wet module dense media separation circuit is expected to also start in February and be completed by April, at which point the company intends to start commercial production, it said.

The Vancouver-based miner also announced that it commissioned the system that will pump water from Rio Jequitinhonha, which is 6km from the sewage treatment plant, to make the water suitable for the Greentech Plant.

In addition, Sigma noted its local partner Miazga Participações, has acquired a farm property with tropical forestry with the objective of preserving endangered tropical forestry that would be suppressed otherwise.

The miner will donate this area to the State Forestry Authority (IEF – Instituto Estadual de Florestas) for permanent preservation.

Top producer

Sigma Lithium this month secured up to $100 million from shareholder Synergy Capital to fund the company until August 2023. The investment will help the company build the initial phase of a $155-million expansion of the battery-grade lithium mine.

During this first production phase, Grota do Cirilo is expected to generate up to 270,000 tonnes per year of high purity battery grade lithium concentrate, equal to about 36,700 tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).

Based on the results of a study to triple battery-grade lithium concentrate production, Sigma says the project has the potential to churn out 768,000 tonnes (104,200 tpa LCE) from the second to the eighth year of operations.

Such capacity would make Grota do Cirilo fall just outside the world’s top five lithium producers in terms of output capacity after Albemarle, SQM, Ganfeng, Pilbara Minerals and Galaxy.

Total output will then drop to 491,000 tonnes in years nine to 13, Sigma Lithium said.

Sigma noted that the planned expansion could be achieved by the addition to the Greentech lithium plant of a single larger additional dense media separation module paired with a proportional crushing module.

The company’s co-CEO, Ana Cabral-Gardner, believes that Brazil has the potential to become a “green lithium powerhouse”.

Brazil is already a global case study in low carbon mobility, powering cars with ethanol, biofuels and natural gas. With Sigma Lithium in the mix, the country now has one of the few companies globally that has proven its ability to produce lithium in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Sigma has been producing environmentally sustainable battery-grade lithium concentrate on a pilot scale since 2018.

https://www.mining.com/sigma-lithium-be ... issioning/

[energy_isere]

Nouveau prospect en Argentine

Large Potential Lithium-Bearing Brine Zone Identified at Xantippe’s Carachi Lithium Project in Catamarca, Argentina
The project area shares geologic features in common with other lithium-rich salars in the region


By NS Energy Staff Writer 03 Jan 2023

Xantippe Resources Limited (ASX: XTC) (Xantippe, XTC, or the Company) is pleased to provide exploration results on its Carachi Lithium Project (the Project), located in Catamarca province, Argentina in the Lithium Triangle of South America.

The Company recently completed a Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) geophysical survey that has identified a highly conductive horizon that is interpreted to represent a brine target with potential to host a large lithium deposit.

The project area shares geologic features in common with other lithium-rich salars in the region. This brine aquifer has been reported as having elevated concentrations of lithium at Lake Resources’ Kachi lithium project located adjacent to the Project. The geophysical survey covered an area of approximately 300 square kilometres. The conductive horizon was detected clearly in the majority of the VES stations,
which cover an area of approximately 130 square kilometres.

The zone is characterized by very low resistivity values interpreted to represent a buried salar deposit of a highly conductive saline brine zone (<2 ohm/m). The zone occurs at depths of 34 to 220 metres below surface. It is interpreted to be at least 150 metres thick, and is open at depth and in all directions laterally. Figure 1 overleaf shows a generalized cross section showing local geophysical contractor Conhidro’s interpretation of the VES data.

VES geophysical surveys are being used frequently in Argentina to successfully delineate potential brine zones below surface. Based on the VES resistivity data, Conhidro interprets there to be five zones, which range from unsaturated material (highly resistive).

Executive Chairman, Mr John Featherby commented: “The Company is very pleased with these positive results and moves forward with great confidence to the next phase of exploration, our first drilling program. The aim is to use this drilling program to provide an initial JORC compliant Mineral Resource Estimate.”

[energy_isere]

Tesla va devoir payer plus cher le Lithium qu' il approvisionne de Piedmont Lithium .

Tesla faces higher lithium prices as supplier amends deal

Bloomberg News | January 3, 2023

Tesla Inc. is set to pay more for the lithium that powers its electric vehicles after a supplier amended their deal amid a relentless price rally of the metal.

Piedmont Lithium will now supply an increased 125,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate to the EV giant starting in the second half of this year through the end of 2025, according to a statement Tuesday. Unlike prior agreements where prices are locked in, Piedmont’s deal with Tesla relies on a floating mechanism based on market prices, according to the statement.

The change in the supply agreement between Piedmont and Tesla is “significant” because the EV giant typically has fixed prices for the materials it needs for batteries, according to analyst David Deckelbaum at Cowen & Co. “As more contracts shift toward variable pricing, Tesla’s lithium costs inevitably move higher,” Deckelbaum said in an email.

As the biggest buyer in a sector filled with startup miners, Tesla has wielded outsized power to dictate terms, typically locking in long-term supply deals at fixed prices. But a relentless rise in prices of key battery materials including lithium and legacy automakers’ aggressive efforts to secure those metals are gradually changing the landscape.

Lithium has soared 1,200% over the past several years as supply has struggled to match rampant demand. That’s hurt manufacturers, which have been forced to raise prices. The average price for a lithium-ion battery pack jumped 7% in 2022, according to BloombergNEF, the first increase since the group began their survey in 2010.

The prior pact between Piedmont and Tesla was announced more than two years ago, when lithium prices were at a historic low as the pandemic crushed EV demand just when supply was ample.

Shares of Tesla fell 13.3% to $106.76 as of 11:51 a.m. in New York, the most since September 2020, as analysts cut their share-price forecasts after the company missed expectations for car deliveries last quarter. Piedmont fell 4.2% after initially gaining on the amended agreement news.

The new supply pact with Tesla “should deliver highly attractive margins” for Piedmont, according to Cowen’s Deckelbaum. He estimated that the deal could boost annualized cash flow by $550 million for the Belmont, North Carolina-based company, based on current spot pricing for lithium hydroxide.

The metal for Tesla will now be sourced from Sayona Mining Ltd.’s North American Lithium project in Quebec— it was originally going to come from Piedmont’s North Carolina project, which is still in the pre-permitting phase.

https://www.mining.com/web/tesla-faces- ... ends-deal/

[energy_isere]

Un nouveau gros projet de Lithium au Chili : Laguna-Verde

Cleantech Lithium hails Chile project potential

Cecilia Jamasmie | January 5, 2023


Laguna Verde lithium project. (Image courtesy of CleanTech Lithium.)

Chile-focused junior Cleantech Lithium (AIM: CTL) said on Thursday that a scoping study for its Laguna Verde lithium project in northern Chile has confirmed “outstanding” economics.

The exploration and development company said initial drilling results support the potential for the project to become a major supplier of battery grade lithium to European and US markets.

Cleantech based its analysis on a model that calls for a mine with annual production of 20,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium carbonate and an operational life of 30 years, according to measured and indicated resources.

The study estimated accumulated net cashflows — after tax and including royalties — of $6.3 billion to be generated over the Laguna Verde’s operational life, with an operating cost of $3,875 per tonne. It also estimates an after tax net present value of $1.83 billion.

Total capital expenditure is pegged at $383.6 million, with lithium production starting in 2026, though Cleantech’s management continues to target a start of operations in late 2025.

The company noted a pre-feasibility study will begin immediately and it is expected to be completed in the second half of the year.

“Chilean lithium sector experts at Ad-Infinitum have already commenced work on the Francisco Basin scoping study and our board is hopeful that the economics and ESG credentials prove to be as attractive as we’ve seen for Laguna Verde,” chief executive Aldo Boitano said in the statement.

The company plans to mine the battery metal by using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology. This allows drawing lithium from the brine, without the need for evaporation ponds, which results in no depletion from the aquifer or harm to the local environment, the company says.

Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin are CleanTech Lithium’s flagship projects. In addition, the miner owns the Llamara greenfield project, located about 600km to the south of the two assets.

Lithium prices have soared 1,200% over the past several years as supply has failed to match growing demand. That has hurt battery makers, who have been forced to raise prices.

The average price for a lithium-ion battery pack went up by 7% in 2022, according to BloombergNEF, the first increase since the group began their survey in 2010.

https://www.mining.com/cleantech-lithiu ... potential/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 22 oct 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2355920#p2355920

Ghana : une nouvelle campagne d’exploration confirme le potentiel de hausse des ressources de lithium à Ewoyaa

Agence Ecofin 13 jznvier 2023

L’australien Atlantic Lithium s’active pour réaliser une nouvelle estimation des ressources sur son projet phare de lithium Ewoyaa au Ghana. Dans cette perspective, la société a initié une nouvelle campagne exploratoire dont les résultats viennent de tomber.

Au Ghana, la compagnie minière Atlantic Lithium est en bonne voie pour mettre à jour à la hausse l’estimation des ressources minérales de son projet de lithium Ewoyaa au premier trimestre 2023. Elle a publié jeudi 12 janvier les résultats d’une récente campagne de forage de plus de 10 000 m qui a permis d’identifier de nouvelles intersections de minéralisation à haute teneur sur plusieurs cibles comme Grasscutter North, Kaampakrom North et Assan.

Entre autres intersections marquantes, on retrouve celles de 36 m titrant 1,21 % d’oxyde de lithium, de 22,2 m à une teneur de 1,62 % ou encore 20 m à 1,6 %. La société a déclaré que les résultats confirment l’existence de nouvelles pegmatites minéralisées sur certaines cibles de forage, en dehors des zones prises en compte par l’estimation de ressources minérales actuelle.

Une fois la réévaluation des ressources effectuée, Atlantic Lithium sera en mesure de réaliser l’étude de faisabilité définitive d’Ewoyaa, qu’elle espère achever d’ici mi-2023, et débloquer des fonds auprès de son partenaire Piedmont Lithium pour la construction de la mine.

Pour rappel, le projet Ewoyaa hébergerait selon les données actuelles 30,1 millions de tonnes de minerais titrant 1,26 % d’oxyde de lithium. Il devrait livrer 255 000 tonnes de concentré de spodumène à une teneur de 6 % en lithium chaque année, sur une durée de vie de la mine estimée à 12,5 ans.

https://www.agenceecofin.com/metaux/130 ... m-a-ewoyaa

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 6 fevrier 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2336395#p2336395

L' usine de rafinnage de Lithium de Guben en Allemagne sera bien construite :

Rock Tech gets early start permission for construction of Guben Converter
The Guben lithium converter is expected to produce about 24,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from 2025

By NS Energy Staff Writer 13 Jan 2023


The Guben Converter will be built in Guben, Brandenburg. (Credit: CNW Group/Rock Tech Lithium Inc.)

Rock Tech Lithium has been granted permission for an early start to the construction of Guben Converter, a lithium converter in Guben in the German state of Brandenburg.

The Canada-based cleantech company applied for the first partial permit and approval for an early start in February 2022. The permission for the early start of construction has been given by the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment.

Rock Tech Lithium said that the first major work onsite at the lithium plant is anticipated within the upcoming weeks.

The early start permission will allow the company to commence the required groundwork and the construction of roads, office, and storage buildings.

According to Rock Tech Lithium, the Guben Converter is expected to produce about 24,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from 2025.

Rock Tech Lithium announced plans to construct the lithium hydroxide production facility in October 2021.

With an estimated investment of $683m, the cleantech company intends to commence the initial work on the project in the coming weeks.

The second and final tranche of permit applications for the construction of the Guben lithium converter were submitted by Rock Tech Lithium in November 2022 with approval expected to be received from summer 2023 onwards.

To be located in the company’s industrial park in Guben, the lithium hydroxide facility covers a total area of around 12ha.

Rock Tech Lithium chief operating officer Klaus Schmitz said: “Our converter will be one of the first of its kind in Europe.

“The production of our battery-grade lithium hydroxide will be an essential part of the battery mineral supply chains in Europe – this is another reason why the approval by the authority is an important step towards implementation and sends a clear signal to the market.”

According to the cleantech company, over 250,000 working hours and more than $37m have been already invested by it in planning the design and construction of the Guben Converter.

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/r ... converter/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 23 janvier 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2335682#p2335682

Lake Resources announces updated resource for Kachi lithium brine project
The Measured and Indicated (M&I) resource is increased to 2.2Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) defined, to a depth of 400m over 81km2, and Inferred resources of 3.1Mt LCE defined over 117km

12 Jan 2023

Australia-based clean lithium developer Lake Resources has announced an updated resource for its Kachi lithium brine project in Catamarca Province, Argentina.

The Measured and Indicated (M&I) resource is increased to 2.2Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) defined, to a depth of 400m over 81km2.

The updated Inferred resources indicate 3.1Mt LCE defined over 117km, open to a depth of around 700m and open laterally.

Also, the increased measured resource shows a lithium grade of 212mg/L lithium, the Indicated resource of 178 mg/l lithium, and the Inferred resource shows a concentration of 198mg/L lithium.

Lake Resources chief executive officer David Dickson said: “We are pleased with the progress we are seeing at Kachi, especially regarding the recent update on the Kachi mineral resource estimate.

“With the ongoing recruitment of talented experts, the realignment and new focus of the organisation, and the enrichment of our board, we are well-positioned to complete the development of Kachi, while pursuing the development of Cauchari, Olaroz and Paso.

“We look forward to producing high-quality, sustainable lithium for our customers and delivering value to all of our stakeholders.”

The Kachi lithium brine project is located in the Puna region in Argentina, around 520km northwest of San Fernando de la Valle de Catamarca the capital of Catamarca Province.

The properties are 100% owned by the project entity Kachi Lithium, which is 90% owned by Lake, and the California-based lithium extraction company Lilac owns the remaining 10%.

Lake said that the updated resource is based on results from the drilling activities that have been carried out by the company for a year.

The company has installed multiple drilling rigs on site to support the drilling activities and related studies for the project.

It is currently in the process of installing test production wells for pumping and reinjection aquifer testing as part of the project DFS.

Lake Resources is a clean lithium developer that deploys advanced ion exchange extraction technology to produce sustainable, high-purity lithium.

In October 2022, South Korean battery manufacturer SK On signed a conditional framework agreement (CFA) to acquire a 10% stake in Lake.

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/l ... i-project/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 24 juillet 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2347922#p2347922

Biden backs Nevada lithium mine with $700 million loan offer

Bloomberg News | January 13, 2023

A Nevada lithium mine that would be only the second in the US is getting backing from the Biden administration as it seeks to boost the domestic supply of the critical mineral needed to make electric vehicle batteries.


The Energy Department issued a conditional commitment for up to $700 million for Ioneer Ltd.’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project, a prospective supplier to Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. that could produce enough lithium for 370,000 electric vehicles a year. Project partners include mining and metals processing group Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

The funding, being made through the department’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, comes as the Biden administration seeks to create a domestic battery supply chain amid a broader goal of half of vehicles sold in the US by the end of the decade be emissions-free.

Demand for lithium, which also is used for grid storage and weapons, is projected to exceed current production by 2030. The US relies on international markets for the processing of most raw materials, according to the department.

“Developing a US supply chain for these materials is a national priority as the country works toward energy independence,” the department said in a statement. “A core focus within the strategy is increasing the availability of the critical materials that are essential components of the clean energy technologies necessary for reaching national climate and economic goals.”

While Asia currently dominates the lithium carbonate refining process, the Rhyolite Ridge deposit is one of two known sizeable lithium-boron deposits in the world, the Energy Department said.

Ioneer expects to get US approvals that will allow the company to start building the project next year with the aim to start producing lithium in 2026, according to the company. It still needs to get final approval from the US Interior Department because public lands near the site are home to the endangered wildflower Tiehm’s buckwheat.

The Energy Department said the company has invested $1.2 million on research to preserve the plant and has revised its mining plan to avoid direct impacts on the plant.

https://www.mining.com/web/biden-backs- ... oan-offer/

[mobar]

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium

La production semble suivre la consommation que le recyclage viendra probablement soutenir


et avec les prix actuels, l'exploration et les nouvelles découvertes vont se multiplier

https://www.rncan.gc.ca/nos-ressources- ... hium/24010

Conclusion :on n'est pas près de manquer de lithium, plus on en cherche plus on en trouve!

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 7 mai 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2342743#p2342743

Mali : le chinois Fosun International financera la construction de la mine de lithium Bougouni

Agence Ecofin 19 janvier 2023

D’ici 2024, le Mali pourrait disposer de deux mines de lithium en activité, en l’occurrence Goulamina et Bougouni. Alors que les travaux de construction de la première citée ont déjà commencé, la deuxième est également toute proche d’atteindre cette étape de son développement.

Au Mali, le britannique Kodal Minerals a annoncé le jeudi 19 janvier un accord contraignant avec Hainan Mining, filiale du conglomérat chinois Fosun International, pour un financement de 117,75 millions $. Les fonds seront consacrés à la construction de la mine de lithium Bougouni et à l’usine de séparation en milieu dense (DMS) pour le traitement du minerai.

Selon les termes de l’accord, Hainan Mining investira 100 millions $ dans une nouvelle filiale britannique de Kodal. Dénommée Kodal Mining UK Limited, cette filiale détenue à 51 % par Hainan deviendra le propriétaire indirect de Bougouni en prenant le contrôle d’une nouvelle société malienne chargée de développer la mine. Hainan investira enfin 17,75 millions $ pour devenir le premier actionnaire de Kodal Minerals avec 14,8 % des parts.

« Cette somme nous permettra de financer entièrement l’usine DMS […] ainsi que de soutenir les principales campagnes de forage et d’exploration visant à découvrir et à définir une minéralisation de lithium supplémentaire afin d’augmenter la durée de vie de l’exploitation minière à Bougouni », a assuré Bernard Aylward, PDG de Kodal Minerals.

Deux mines de lithium au Mali en 2024 ?

Sous réserve des approbations réglementaires, la conclusion de l’accord de financement devrait intervenir d’ici le 30 avril 2023 et permettre à Kodal, une fois les fonds obtenus, d’achever les travaux de construction dans un délai de douze mois. Cette transaction devrait en outre conforter le Mali dans son ambition de s’établir comme un fournisseur de lithium dès 2024.

Outre Bougouni qui a la capacité de livrer près de 2 millions de tonnes de concentré de spodumène sur une durée de vie de 8,5 ans, le Mali dispose en effet aussi du projet Goulamina, dont l’entrée en production est déjà attendue pour le premier semestre 2024. Considérée comme la future première mine de lithium du Mali, il peut livrer annuellement 726 000 tonnes de concentré de spodumène sur 23 ans.

Il faut noter qu’une part importante de la production de ces deux mines devrait être expédiée vers la Chine, en raison du financement apporté par Hainan et Ganfeng (pour Goulamina), deux entreprises de l’empire du Milieu actives dans la production de batteries lithium-ion.

Pour rappel, le Zimbabwe est actuellement le seul producteur africain de lithium, mais le Ghana, l’Afrique du Sud et la RDC devraient bientôt le rejoindre, en plus du Mali.

https://www.agenceecofin.com/investisse ... m-bougouni

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 3 dec 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2359031#p2359031

Mali : la future mine de lithium Goulamina peut être exploitée au-delà de 23 ans

Agence Ecofin 17 janvier 2023

Goulamina peut livrer initialement 506 000 tonnes/an de concentré de spodumène, et jusqu’à 831 000 tonnes au cours de la phase 2, pour une production annuelle de 726 000 tonnes sur une durée de vie de la mine estimée à 23 ans. La hausse des ressources minérales peut améliorer ces prévisions.

Au Mali, le projet Goulamina a la capacité de produire du lithium sur plus de 23 ans. C’est du moins l’estimation faite par Leo Lithium, copropriétaire australien du projet, dans une mise à jour de ressources publiée le mardi 17 janvier.

Selon la compagnie minière, les ressources minérales de Goulamina ont augmenté de 31 % pour atteindre 142,3 millions de tonnes titrant 1,38 % d’oxyde de lithium. Cette hausse est liée aux travaux d’exploration menés entre mai et octobre 2022 sur le gisement Danaya, qui héberge désormais 56,1 millions de tonnes à une teneur en oxyde de lithium de 1,24 %.

Ce nouveau chiffre correspond à une augmentation de 152 % par rapport à l’estimation de juin 2020. La nouvelle estimation confirme surtout la possibilité pour Leo Lithium d’étendre la durée de vie de Goulamina au-delà des 23 ans prévus dans l’étude de faisabilité, grâce au gisement Danaya.

« Le forage de définition des ressources se poursuit sur le domaine nord-est […] et l’estimation des ressources minérales sera ensuite redéfinie au cours du présent semestre. Ces résultats sont également encourageants dans la perspective de la production du premier concentré de spodumène au deuxième trimestre 2024 », a ajouté Simon Hay, DG de Leo Lithium.

Pour rappel, Goulamina est développée dans le cadre d’un partenariat 50/50 avec le chinois Ganfeng Lithium qui a apporté une partie des fonds nécessaires à la construction de la mine, sécurisant ainsi une large part de la future production.

https://www.agenceecofin.com/metaux/170 ... -de-23-ans

[emmort]

Quand on voit les progrès des batteries sodium, je me demande si la flambée du lithium ne va pas faire "Pfuit" assez rapidement.

Qui vivra verra. (horizon 5-7 ans)

Le lithium restera pour les batteries techniques (très) hautes performances: satellites, aviation,... le sodium pour toutes les applications ordinaires: automobiles, stockage, jardinage, .....

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 15 dec 2017 viewtopic.php?p=2263513#p2263513

Canada approves Galaxy Lithium’s James Bay Lithium project

By NS Energy Staff Writer 17 Jan 2023

Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has granted the approval, which requires the project to be under oversight throughout its lifecycle, and Galaxy Lithium to follow 271 legally-binding conditions


Galaxy Lithium announced that Canada has approved the construction, operation and decommissioning of its proposed open-pit lithium mine in Quebec, Canada.

Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has granted the approval, based on recommendation of the Environmental Assessment Report.

The approval follows review by a Joint Assessment Committee, which includes members from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Cree Nation Government.

The Ministry required the project to be under oversight throughout its lifecycle, and obligated the Australian mining company to follow 271 legally-binding conditions.

The conditions include measures to protect fish and fish habitat, migratory birds and endangered birds, wetlands, bats, and other condition related to Cree community.

Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault said: “This is what a good project is all about. Critical minerals are one of the keys to building Canada’s low-carbon economy and ensuring economic prosperity for years to come.

“We can only develop those resources by designing from the outset with strong mitigation measures to protect the environment and working in true partnership with Indigenous Peoples. Our future depends on sustainable projects like this one.”

The James Bay Lithium Mine project is located around 100kms east of James Bay and the Eastmain Cree Community, in Quebec.

The project will produce lithium, which is an important ingredient of clean technology like electric vehicle batteries and solar panels.

It is estimated to have a mine life of 15 to 20 years, and produce an average of 5,480 tonnes of ore per day.

The proposed lithium project will include an open-pit mine and concentrator facility, tailings, waste rock, ore, and overburden storage areas, along with related infrastructure.

Its development is expected to require 280 workers during the construction phase and an annual average of 167 workers during its operation.

Furthermore, the project is subject to a provincial environmental assessment by the Environmental and Social Impact Review Committee.

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/c ... m-project/