Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL, OTC:PLLTL) Inc is nearing steady-state production at the jointly owned North American Lithium (NAL) spodumene concentrate processing plant, having shipped about 14,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of concentrate in the second quarter.
The financial period also marked a record quarterly production of 49,660 dmt, a 23% increase in production from the previous quarter, having also achieved a new record in lithium recoveries of 68% and process plant utilisation, at 83%.
Highly strategic asset
"As one of only a handful of active spodumene mines globally, NAL is a highly strategic asset with excellent operational performance as the ramp-up to steady-state production continues,” Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL, OTC:PLLTL) president and CEO Keith Phillips said.
“With ongoing quarterly production records and the recent high-grade drill results of the 2023-2024 drill campaign, NAL has demonstrated significant progress and future potential.
"As we enter the second half of the year, we look forward to increasing our shipments to contract customers.
“We welcome Mr Lucas Dow as the newly appointed managing director and CEO of our partner, Sayona Mining, and we thank Mr James Brown for his prior leadership."
The NAL plant, which is owned 25% by PLL and 75% by joint venture (JV) partner Sayona Mining, is targeting 96,500 dmt for the second half of 2024.
The company says the crushed ore dome at the plant is now operational, and expects the addition to improve production levels and plant utilisation rates.
