Atlantic Lithium Limited (AIM:ALL, OTCQX:ALLIF, ASX:A11) has appointed a contractor to conduct a scoping study on the potential inclusion of a flotation circuit at the Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana.
The study will evaluate the technical and commercial viability of using flotation to process fines and middlings, which could be an additional downstream circuit to the planned Dense Media Separation (DMS) processing plant.
Chief executive Keith Muller said: "Initial testwork has indicated the possibility of upgrading the lower-grade secondary product that we will be producing from the Ewoyaa Lithium Dense Media Separation plant to a higher margin spodumene concentrate product through an additional flotation circuit, downstream from the DMS plant.
"By increasing the production of concentrate, we believe that we reduce our reliance on the low-grade lithium-bearing products market and enhance our exposure to spodumene concentrate pricing upside. The higher-value product will generate greater revenues and, as such, the inclusion of the flotation circuit is expected to improve the financial outcomes indicated in the recent definitive feasibility study for the project."
He said he looked forward to contractor DRA Global Limited delivering the outcome of the study in the fourth quarter of this year.
DRA will deliver process design criteria, a processing flowsheet, capital and operating cost estimates for the additional flotation circuit.