By: Mining review Africa

Charles FitzRoy, President and CEO of Giyani Metals, commented:

“Giyani is entering a metamorphic stage on its trajectory as a battery metals developer, with the first production of battery-grade manganese on track for delivery in Q4 this year. The Demo Plant, to our knowledge, is the largest of its kind in the world and offers Giyani many advantages that would not be available with other smaller or non-continuous facilities. In particular, the continuous process flow of the Demo Plant will allow the team to target steady-state operations and prove Giyani’s ability to produce consistent battery-grade manganese to potential offtake partners, as well as the ability to satisfy offtake requirements.

“The Demo Plant’s ability to operate continuously at this pre-commercial scale will allow Giyani to understand how the Commercial Plant will respond, allowing pre-emptive engineering to de-risk potential issues that could arise during ramp-up and operations,” said Fitz Roy.

“Successful construction and operation of the Demo Plant will, therefore, demonstrate the inherent value of the project to investors. The value of this facility as a tool to optimize our proprietary flowsheet and reduce operating costs is immeasurable and will ultimately advance Giyani’s development as a producer of high-grade manganese for the EV battery market. We look forward to providing further updates on its progress.”

Highlights:

·         The plant in Johannesburg is moving into the detailed fit-out phase, with modular process skids installed. The cabling and piping are being connected for commissioning.

·         Concurrent testing at CM Solutions is optimizing the process to reduce reagent use and eliminate hydrofluoric acid [HF], making operations safer and more environmentally friendly.

·         Minopex, a leading global plant operator, has been engaged to manage the demo plant, bringing expertise from their experience with over 90 global plant projects.

·         Simulation of the Yokogawa Distributed Control System [DCS] is ongoing, which will enable continuous process flow instead of batch operation, providing a significant advantage.

·         The continuous operation allows Giyani to demonstrate its ability to produce consistent, battery-grade manganese [HPMSM], meeting the requirements of potential offtake partners.

·         The Demo Plant is a scaled version of the planned commercial plant in Botswana, helping Giyani optimize the design before full-scale operations begin. This work runs in parallel with the Definitive Feasibility Study, set to complete in 2025.

·         The Demo Plant is on track for commissioning in Q4 2024, with a production capacity of up to 600kg per day of HPMSM, to be supplied to offtake partners for testing and qualification.