Pilbara Minerals Limited, founded in 2005, is an Australian lithium-tantalum producer listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: PLS) and considered within the top 200 companies in Australia (ASX200 index).
Through the development of its 100%-owned Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum Project (Pilgangoora Project), Pilbara Minerals is set to become one of the biggest lithium raw materials producers in the world.
The Pilgangoora project is located in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and is considered one of the largest hard-rock lithium-tantalum deposits globally. The significant scale and outstanding quality of the Pilgangoora project has seen Pilbara Minerals progress it from first drill hole to production in under four years.
Currently in production and with product shipments underway, Pilbara Minerals is embarking on an expansion of the Pilgangoora Project. This Stage 2 expansion will see the processing capacity increase from the current 2Mtpa to 5Mtpa, subsequently increasing production from 330,000tpa to 800-850,000tpa ~6% spodumene concentrate, and 321,000lbspa to 800,000lbspa of tantalite concentrate.
The low cost, long life and high quality Pilgangoora project has attracted a group of high quality, experienced global offtake partners including Ganfeng Lithium, General Lithium, Great Wall Motor Company and POSCO. Collectively, these customers account for 100% of current and Stage 2 spodumene production and provide Pilbara Minerals a strategic link into China’s lithium market and the emerging South Korean lithium market.
Through its customers, Pilbara Minerals is also pursuing a position in the downstream ‘value-added’ lithium market through the development of chemical conversion plants in South Korea and China.
Ken Brinsden, Managing Director of Pilbara Minerals, presented (virtually) to the 22nd Macquarie Australia Conference last week on the latest operational performance at the Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum Project. Check out his presentation here:
Pilgangoora – positioned for the future of lithium raw material supply Corporate Presentation – May 2020