Giyani Metals Corp (TSX-V:EMM, OTC:CATPF) told investors it has seen significant progress in the construction of its Demonstration Plant (Demo Plant) for the K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana.
The company, in a statement, said it has successfully installed five additional modular process skids, which means that seven out of nine modules are now in place.
“It is exciting to see the demo plant coming together and appreciating the scale of the facility we are constructing, which is expected to be one of the largest battery-grade manganese process testing and optimization facilities in the world,” chief executive Danny Keating said.
“Successful construction and operation of the demo plant is key to demonstrating the inherent value of the project to investors.”
The modules include three purification circuits within two process modules, a reagent make-up module, a filtration module with four filter presses, and a water treatment and storage module.
These are crucial for the plant's hydrometallurgical processes including impurity removal and reagent dosing, the company highlighted.
Installation of instrumentation and electrical cabling for a crystallizer unit is now nearing completion, along with the piping works. The project also saw the completion of a purpose-built ventilation system to ensure safe and comfortable operations within the plant.
Civil works for the external waste storage tank system are underway, Giyani added, with the aim of optimizing water recovery system designs for the commercial plant.
Giyani said the project is progressing on schedule, and the plant is expected to start commissioning and production of battery-grade manganese by the fourth quarter of this year.
The company also published a new project update video to its Youtube channel.
Keating, meanwhile, said: “The plant’s ability to operate continuously at this pre-commercial scale will allow Giyani to understand how the commercial plant will respond ahead of construction, pre-emptively detecting and de-risking potential issues that could arise during ramp-up.
“The value of this facility as a tool to optimize our proprietary flowsheet and reduce operating costs will be immeasurable.
“The most important feature will be that we will now be able to provide offtakers with tonnes of product for testing, rather than providing samples measured in grams.
“This level of production is not usually available until commercial production is achieved, further de-risking the project for our potential partners and financiers.”