Euro Manganese Inc (ASX:EMN, TSX-V:EMN, OTCQX:EUMNF) is preparing to commission the Chvaletice Project demonstration plant in the Czech Republic following the delivery of 12 containers over two shipments that delivered all modules of the plant.
The company has now begun unpacking and positioning the modules within two buildings refurbished for the purpose.
Commissioning – including cold, hot and performance testing – will begin once all modules and ancillary equipment are in place, inspected and connected. The demonstration plant is expected to be operational and producing to customer specifications by the end of this year.
Euro Manganese has designed the demonstration plant to produce large-scale high-purity manganese samples for use in supply chain qualification tests and for process optimisation and training facility purposes.
The company plans to run the plant for up to three years in order to test potential feedstock sources for the commercial plant and assess options for alternative manganese end-products based on requests by the market.
The Chvaletice Project is a waste-to-value recycling and remediation project that will involve reprocessing old tailings from a decommissioned mine into high-quality manganese products such as High Purity Electrolytic Manganese Metal (HPEMM) and High Purity Manganese Sulphate Metal (HPMSM).
“Another important milestone”
“The arrival and installation of the demonstration plant is another important milestone for the Chvaletice Manganese Project,” Euro Manganese president and CEO Dr Matthew James said.
“It is also testament to the tenacity of our team, who successfully navigated several challenges with the manufacturing and delivery of the demonstration plant, including the inability to travel to China during COVID, a re-routing of the shipping as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and industrial action at Hamburg port.
“We have orders for the demonstration plant samples and the plant also provides prospective customers the opportunity to visit the site and witness firsthand the supply security, traceability, and high-quality nature of Chvaletice’s battery-grade manganese products.”
Euro Manganese estimates that the demonstration plant – including fabrication, delivery, commissioning, laboratory set-up, training programs and first-year operation costs – will require about US$5.8 million, of which only US$2.7 million remains to be paid.