A life span of 17 years, 290 jobs during the commercial phase and the production of 3.9 million tonnes of lithium oxide and more than 7000 tonnes of oxide of tantalum, these are the promises of the project Rose to Critical Elements Corporation (CEC).
On 6 September, the montral-based company has published the feasibility study of this project located in the heart of james bay, roughly half-way between the cree village of Nemaska and the hydroelectric power station Eastmain-1 Hydro-Qubec.
If all goes as planned, the construction of the infrastructure and of the pit should begin in the fall of 2018. All will require an initial investment of $ 341 Million. The production is expected to begin in the summer of 2020, with a lifespan estimated at 17 years. During the construction phase, the project Pink would employ up to 575 workers, a number that will stabilize at 290 for commercial production.
220 million tonnes to be excavated
In the course of its 17-year lifespan, the mine Rose is expected to produce 3.07 million tonnes of oxide concentrate for the lithium chemical quality, 827 200 tonnes of concentrated lithium oxide technical grade and 7160 tonnes of oxide concentrate of tantalum, a metal used in a wide variety of electronic applications.
According to the mine plan, CEC excavera 26.8 million tonnes of ore from the pit as well as 182,4 million tons of barren rock and 11.0 million tonnes of overburden. This will result in a ratio of 7.2 tonnes of waste per tonne of ore.
A pit of 1.6 km long
In its maximum expansion, the pit should measure 1620 metres long by 900 metres wide and 200 metres deep. As the study on the hydrology anticipates a significant infiltration of water, the wells will be constructed in the periphery to lower the water table in the pit. One of these wells will feed into the mine in fresh water, while process water will be recycled.
As for the facilities, they will be spread over an area of 296 000 square meters. This space will contain the treatment plant, the maintenance shop, the warehouse, the administration building and the fuel tanks. The feasibility study does not provide for the construction of a conversion plant for the production of lithium carbonate, but a space has been reserved for a future installation.
Residues non-acidic
On the plan socioenvironnemental, samples of waste rock and tailings have been classified as non-generators of acid. The dump ore will have a capacity of 3.9 million tonnes, where the ore is low-grade can be stored. The process water will be recycled, thus reducing the pressure on the retention pond and the treatment plant final effluent.
https://stopru.org/17-years-of-life-and-290-jobs-to-the-lithium-mine-pink/18537
The cree communities nearby have already been consulted on the project. The exchanges will continue throughout the life of the mine.