Africa-focused battery metals investment and exploration company Marula Mining has reported steady progress in the expansion of ore processing capacity at its Blesberg lithium and tantalum operations, in South Africa's Northern Cape province.

The company in August reported that it had acquired two sensor-based, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) ore sorters from Tomra Systems and Rados International Technologies for R40.6-million.

Rados has completed construction of the Rados SRF100-8 ore sorter and it is scheduled to arrive at the Blesberg site in mid-December.

Ore commissioning of the Rados SRF100-8 ore sorter is expected to be completed by the end of December 2023.

Further, Tomra will soon start testing the Tomra COM XRT 1200 ore sorter in South Africa with material from Blesberg.

The Tomra COM XRT 1200 ore sorter is scheduled to arrive on site in early January, with ore commissioning to be completed by the end of January.

Marula has appointed South African metallurgical and mineral processing group, Erudite Strategies as project manager to oversee the installation and commissioning of the expanded process plant and XRF ore sorters at Blesberg.

Its work will also involve optimisation of the mineral process design, including the Rados and Tomra sorting technology with the new primary crushing and screening circuit and plant with mica extraction and bagging, to increase operating and cost efficiencies and maximise recovery of the high-value spodumene.

Civils and concrete works are under way at Blesberg ahead of the planned installation and commissioning of the XRF ore sorters and new crushing and screening circuit.

Commissioning of the expanded processing plant at Blesberg is on schedule to be completed in the first quarter of 2024 in line with the increased mining activities that are also scheduled to start then, Marula reports.

“The progress with the XRF ore sorters has been positive to see . . . All is on track for the increase in processing capacity to produce up to 5 000 t a month of a high-grade lithium product.

“An important step for us at Blesberg recently has been the appointment of Erudite, who will oversee the installation and commissioning of the expanded process plant and XRF ore sorters at Blesberg. They will also complete further optimisation and process design work on the new primary crushing and screening circuit, to maximise recoveries and improve efficiencies," comments Marula CEO Jason Brewer.