Impact Minerals Limited (ASX:IPT) managing director Mike Jones takes Proactive's Stephen Gunnion through the company’s progress on its Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) Project in Western Australia. Jones discussed a maiden measured resource of 730,000 tonnes at 25.8% alumina and explained its importance for future production plans.
The company is focusing on developing a pilot plant in partnership with CPC Engineering and Edith Cowan University, supported by a $2.8 million federal grant. The grant will aid in feasibility studies for the project, with production expected by 2027.
Jones highlighted the unique properties of the Lake Hope deposit, which requires minimal environmental impact for extraction, and how this could lead to low operating costs for HPA. He also discussed its critical applications, including LEDs and lithium-ion battery safety.
Key milestones include completing the pre-feasibility study by Q1 2025, with significant groundwork already done on mining lease applications and process plant design. Jones emphasised, “We believe that our process, combined with the unique deposit, will give us one of the lowest operating costs globally for HPA.”