GreenRoc Strategic Materials plc has submitted its application for an exploitation licence for Amitsoq graphite project in South Greenland.
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Chief executive Stefan Bernstein said that the grant of the licence should be in months rather than years, since the Government of Greenland simplified the process in February.
The company has also received “very positive results” from further purification testwork, which aims to develop an “alternative to standard hydrofluoric acid leaching”.
“The tests were designed to reduce the volume of reagents needed to achieve a purification level of more than 99.90 wt% graphite, with a final target of at least 99.95 wt%,” added GreenRoc.
More tests are planned to refine further the “optimal purification chemistry” and at the same time seek to decrease further the volume of chemical reagents used.
The company expects the tests results to lead to “significant” operational cost savings for its planned active anode materials (AAM) plant.
In a further development, Amitsoq has been granted ‘project’ status by the 14-member Mineral Security Partnership comprising Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, the European Union, UK and USA.
Mr Bernstein said: “Amitsoq being given “project” status under the international Mineral Security Partnership is an important endorsement of our ambition to become a major producer of graphite active anode material from our graphite mine at Amitsoq and our planned AAM production plant located at Eyde Materials Park in South Norway.
“It is pleasing to report on the further progress we have made in respect of our development of a new, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly, purification process for our graphite.”