Name of the Project
North American Lithium (NAL) expansion project.

Location
Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada.

Project Owner/s
North American-focused mineral exploration and development company Elvera Lithium, formerly Sayona Mining.

Project Description
NAL was successfully restarted in March 2023 and is permitted for the production of 4 500 t/d of lithium.

The expansion is designed to increase the overall plant capacity to a design rate of 6 500 t/d. This translates to a nominal production rate of 315 000 t/y of spodumene concentrate grading 3.4%, or SC5.4, over a 24-year mine life, following the ramp-up of the expansion.

This will be achieved by replacing the existing crushing and ore sorting area with a new circuit capable of processing 6 800 t/d of run-of-mine ore. Crushed ore will be conveyed from the crushing and ore sorting area to a covered crushed ore stockpile with 15 000 t live storage. The stockpile is designed to be equipped with two reclaim tunnels, each with two feeders and conveyors, providing feed for Concentrator 1 (existing) and Concentrator 2 (new).

Concentrator 2, which will be operated in parallel to the existing concentrator, will enable a combined concentrator process rate of 6 500 t/d of feed using grinding, desliming, magnetic separation and spodumene flotation.

The project will require additional concentrate filters, and the replacement of the existing tails dewatering area with a new tailings thickener to receive tail streams from the existing and new concentrators. Redundancy in the existing wet high-intensity magnetic separator (WHIMS) circuit will be achieved by adding a third WHIMS.

The concentrate storage facility will be integrated into the existing plant building, combining flows of the existing and new concentrators, and improving on current plant concentrate rehandling.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The expansion project provides a total project after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of C$1.28-billion and an internal rate of return of 24.6%, with a payback of 46%.

Capital Expenditure
C$366-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2029.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Not disclosed.

Contact Details for Project Information
Elvera Lithium, tel +61 7 3369 7058.