Jilin Huiyang New Material Technology was Blencowe was mandated to complete the test work in their existing pilot plant facility, which negates the requirement for the company to build its own bulk testing facility on-site in the near term.
“This bulk sample trial is significant as a precursor that ultimately leads us to a full offtake agreement, which in turn would enable us to kick start production with a critical mass of product sold to drive profitability and cash flow,” said company executive chairperson Cameron Pearce.
The Ugandan mining law does not allow for the export of unprocessed raw materials and this approval is considered a landmark decision by the government.
The export permits for 100 tonnes of bulk raw ore materials and 400 litres of local groundwater will enable the company to export a representative bulk sample from the initial five years of production, which will be used to assess the metallurgical processes on a commercial scale including differing plant components to maximise the grade, recovery and flake sizing from the project.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished