Firebird Metals Ltd (ASX:FRB, OTC:FRBMF) has cleared the three core regulatory hurdles to construction of its Chinese battery grade manganese sulphate plant in just four months, with the latest energy permit now in hand.
The company says the speed at which it was able to obtain the critical Safety, Environmental and Energy permits speaks to the experience and hard work of its team in China, and the support of the local government in Jinshi, Hunan Province.
Firebird’s subsidiary Hunan Firebird Battery Technologies (HFBT) has now engaged Hunan Chemical Engineering Design Institute (HCEDI) to complete required energy reports and permit application processes.
FRB expects to achieve additional energy consumption reductions for its plant once the results from testing its pilot scale calcining kiln are available, anticipated within the next six weeks.
Read: Firebird Metals delivers energy-saving calcining kiln to Hunan Firebird Battery Technologies Plant in China
Innovative energy-saving technologies
“The company is extremely proud to receive the Energy Permit, which is the final key permit required to allow Firebird to operate our battery grade manganese sulphate plant, in Jinshi, Hunan Province, China,” Firebird managing director Peter Allen said.
“Importantly, our team in China continue to focus on lowering our already impressive cost profile and ensure our operations meet the highest environmental standards.
“The receipt of the Energy Permit is another huge tick in the credentials of our proposed operations and is a result of the hard work of our team in China and the innovative technologies they have developed like the 5th Gen crystallisation reactor.
“We will look to lower energy consumption further and meet our primary objective of reducing energy usage throughout our process.
“Testing of our pilot scale calcining kiln, which boasts the potential to lower energy consumption by up to 80%, is underway and the team look forward to assessing and releasing results in the next six weeks.
“We have now been executing our LMFP battery strategy in China for 12 months and the progress we have made has been outstanding.
“We have delivered and completed on numerous workstreams and milestones and, through this, have set a strong platform to work towards a Final Investment Decision in coming quarters.
“I am very excited about the future of Firebird, and we will continue to execute on our unique opportunity and vision to become a near-term, low-cost producer of battery-grade, high purity manganese sulphate and tetroxide.”
The next key phase of work for FRB will involve preliminary design work, including detailed 3D drawings of the plant layout, to be completed over the coming weeks.