In a major step toward producing a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the Ta Khoa Project’s refinery, Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX, OTCQX:BLSTF) has engaged Metso as technology supplier for precursor cathode active material (pCAM) equipment and testing.
Metso is designing the pCAM plant alongside BSX’s process engineering partner Wood Plc, providing what the company describes as “invaluable experience and engineering technical support”.
Metso will also conduct independent test work on the pCAM generated in Blackstone’s ALS Pilot Program, validating whether the nickel and cobalt sulphates produced are suitable for battery production.
A piece in the battery value chain puzzle
“Metso bring a legacy of innovation and success from the mineral processing industry to the battery industry, joining them on this journey is certainly exciting,” Blackstone Minerals managing director Scott Williamson said.
“Blackstone intends to leverage off Metso’s engineering services and know-how into the pCAM facility design, thus de-risking the project and confirming Blackstone’s intent to be a real player in the pCAM space.
“Securing another world leader to the Ta Khoa Project is yet another jigsaw piece in the battery value chain puzzle.
“Blackstone continues to look forward to project success as it marches towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”
Metso's offering spans the entire lithium, nickel, and cobalt production chain from mining to battery materials and black mass recycling.
The company offers equipment packages to plant deliveries, with its technology starting from optimised raw materials selection to precipitated metal hydroxide precursor materials.
In addition to technical support, Metso brings a suite of bespoke technology to the pCAM facility design, such as the modular OKTOP® reactors (with industrial references for scaling-up pCAM precipitation processes), Larox® filtration technologies and Courier® HX continuous product quality analyser equipment to enable precision control and real-time optimisation.