Mkango Resources Ltd (AIM:MKA, TSX-V:MKA, OTC:MKNGF). said it commenced the final stage of hydrometallurgy pilot plant test work for the Songwe Hill Rare Earths project in Malawi.
The company said the test work took place at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Australia following an extensive phase of flow sheet development and optimisation.
It said design and engineering studies by lead engineer SENET are nearing completion, with the Songwe feasibility study targeted for the first quarter of next year.
The targeted product will be a high-grade, purified mixed rare earth carbonate, which is expected to feed Mkango's Pulawy separation plant development in Poland, for which feasibility studies are continuing in parallel.
The piloting of the hydrometallurgy processing flowsheet is an integral part of the feasibility study and a critical step towards commercialisation of the Songwe project, Mkango said.
The feed for the hydrometallurgy pilot plant is flotation concentrate derived from the successful flotation pilot programme completed earlier in the year.
"This is a major milestone for the development of Songwe and further cements the company as being one of very few advanced stage rare earth project developers positioned to meet demand from accelerating growth in the electric vehicle sector, wind power generation and other industries driven by decarbonisation of the economy,” said William Dawes, chief executive of Mkango.
"Mkango's integrated 'mine, refine, recycle' strategy is progressing on all fronts, encompassing development of sustainably produced light (NdPr) and heavy (Dy/Tb) rare earths from Malawi, a rare earths separation and downstream hub in Poland, working with major Polish fertilizer and chemicals company, Grupa Azoty Pulawy, and rare earth magnet (NdFeB) recycling in the UK and Germany, via our interest in HyProMag."