Liontown Resources’ Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia has produced its first spodumene concentrate on schedule.
The major milestone was achieved following the commissioning of the processing plant and ore going through the entire crushing, milling and flotation circuit.
Liontown said the achievement represents its track record of delivering major project milestones on schedule.
“Two and a half years ago, we set ourselves the ambitious goal of achieving first production by mid-2024. Today, we have achieved it,” Liontown managing director and chief executive officer Tony Ottaviano said.
“This is a monumental moment for Liontown and marks our transition from a construction project to a producer of high-quality lithium concentrate.
“To have successfully constructed and commissioned a world-class lithium operation in two and a half years is a testament to the resilience and dedication of our entire team. We will commence delivery of spodumene concentrate to our customers in the coming weeks.”
Liontown has mined 216,000 tonnes of clean ore from the Kathleen’s Corner and Mount Mann open pits, with the company’s stockpile of clean ore from Kathleen Valley ready for processing.
Looking ahead, Liontown will focus on completing outstanding commissioning activities in the non-critical path areas of the processing plant and concluding construction of critical underground infrastructure.
Liontown is expected to mine the primary ore zone at Kathleen’s Corner in late August.
“First production signals the start of our ramp-up towards 3Mtpa (three million tonnes per annum) capacity and, in partnership with our Tier 1 offtake customers, paves the way for us to pursue our long-term strategy to be a globally significant supplier of battery minerals as the world transitions to a low-carbon future,” Ottaviano said.
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