Member for Durack Melissa Price, Northern Minerals chairman Colin McCavana and Wunan Foundation executives touring the Browns Range site. Image: Northern Minerals
Northern Minerals expects to achieve nameplate capacity rates at the Browns Range heavy rare earth pilot plant in Western Australia in the coming months.
The company completed a major shutdown at Browns Range during the December quarter to modify the kiln feed system.
This is expected to drive the pilot plant into nameplate capacity during the June quarter to prove the quality of the rare earth carbonate produced.
Northern Minerals is on track to have an ore sorter system installed and commissioned by mid-2020.
The company has completed around 50 per cent of the three-year testwork program at Browns Range.
It also produced 158,959 kilograms of rare earth carbonate by December last year.
Northern Minerals has also commenced export shipments to thyssenkrupp Materials Trading, following the execution of an agreement for 100 per cent of offtake from the Browns Range pilot plant project in August last year.
Northern Minerals anticipates the shipments to increase in size and frequency after the wet season passes.
The company has also continued to execute further drilling at the Dazzler deposit, reporting the “best ever” intercept during the December quarter.
It has also opened a training facility called Training2Work in partnership with a non-profit organisation, Wunan Foundation.
This is expected to enable local indigenous community members to be trained in skills for positions in and around the mine site.
The facility plans to receive its first intake of trainees early this year.