Premier African Minerals said the processing plant at its Zulu lithium project in Zimbabwe is now in operation with concentrates being produced from both Mica and Spodumene flotation sections.
Analysis of the concentrates is underway, it added, with several issues that need attention by the plant contractors that are affecting both quantity and quality of production.
Most important is that instrumentation related to pH measurement does not cover all plant components that need to be monitored and the reagent dosing system is unable to adjust pH to design specifications.
Premier African said the plant contractor will need to remedy this forthwith.
Otherwise, initial spot analysis on the material transferred to the spodumene flotation plant has indicated a concentrate of 6.1% Li2O is potentially achievable from the current ROM ore.
George Roach, Premier’s chief executive, commented that the plant was “getting there” but not as quickly as hoped and with more unnecessary remedial issues than anticipated.