Cornish Lithium has progressed work in preparation for a resource definition for its Trelavour hard rock project in Cornwall.
FEASIBILITY STUDY
The project is at the former kaolin pit near St Austell where lithium is present in mica minerals within the granite.
The stability of the pit walls to reduce the risk of land slips is being addressed and site security has been improved.
Cornish Lithium has to date drilled more than 5,000 metres of a 13,000m programme with the campaign expected to complete during Autumn.
The revised resource, in support of the project’s feasibility study, is due to be published by the end of 2023.
A tender process, with a shortlist of preferred engineering firms, is underway to begin the feasibility study in September.
Environmental studies for the feasibility study are also progressing, and Cornish Lithium expects to appoint lead ESIA consultants in the next few months to align the two processes.
DEMONSTRATION PLANT
Contractors have been appointed to construct the Trelavour demonstration plant, including Ai Process Systems.
The hydrometallurgical section of the demonstration plant is partly funded through a £1.8 million grant from Innovate UK.
Long lead items have been ordered and initial components for the plant have begun to arrive on site. Completion of the plant is expected in early 2024.
Cornish Lithium has completed a hazard and operability analysis which identified a number of design improvements to incorporate before construction to ensure the safety of operational staff.
The company has also renovated the TreLith processing site in preparation for the demonstration plant.
Founder and chief executive officer Jeremy Wrathall said that the Trelavour hard rock project represented one of the “most advanced” lithium projects in Europe.
“Since signing the leases for the Trelavour Downs pit and the TreLith processing site, a significant amount of work has been undertaken to improve access to the pit, augment site security and prepare the TreLith site for the demonstration plant.”