Special Report: Infinity Lithium is expected to release its pre-feasibility study for the San Jose lithium project “imminently” after it confirmed key flowsheet details.

The Company told the market today that Wave International was able to produce a lithium hydroxide from recirculated potassium sulphate, confirming Infinity Lithium’s (ASX:INF) expectations.

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Infinity said the testing effectively confirmed material assumptions from the lithium hydroxide scoping study done on the project, including the use of potassium sulphate in the roasting and water leach process.

Additionally, the Company says some scoping study figures have even been surpassed.

For example, the Company said that the level of recycling of potassium sulphate achieved is actually higher than forecast in the scoping study, which should reduce reagent costs when it moved into full processing mode.

This all means that the key flowsheet details for the project have now been locked in, with all the capital and operating costs able to be finalised.

The Company said that this process should take place within the next week, and a pre-feasibility study to be produced soon thereafter — and not a moment too soon.

Infinity emerging as a European leader?

Infinity is advancing one of the few emerging lithium projects in Europe at its San Jose play in Spain.

The project will be developed via an open pit that benefits from an extremely low strip ratio, with ore to be refined on-site to produce a battery-grade lithium hydroxide.

This is important, as the continent is crying out for a stable and trouble-free source of key inputs into electric vehicle batteries, thereby alleviating the significant exposure of European lithium-ion battery producers on China, where the vast majority of lithium is converted to the essential lithium chemicals.

In fact, in early July the company met with the European Investment Bank and European Battery Alliance in Madrid, which has signaled a desire to play a larger role in bringing projects to market.

At the time, Infinity said that the EBA “expressed a desire to visit the San Jose site and assist in a facilitation of commercial discussions with other industry participants”.

Infinity executive director Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles said at the time the meeting shouldn’t be downplayed.

“This was the first time the EBA had sent representatives to visit a lithium project in the EU, and it is imperative that we continue to work closely with both the EBA and the EIB to achieve their goals of building a €250 billion lithium-ion battery in Europe over the next six years,” he said.

Mr Ledoux-Pedailles was subsequently appointed as a lithium expert by the European Commission to contribute to the commission’s next Critical Raw Materials assessment.

However, having friends in the right places, and having friends in the right places with a PFS in hand are two entirely different matters.

Infinity will be hoping that the latest flow sheet news will allow it to get a PFS in its hands, and in front of potential big-hitter investors, sooner rather than later.

 

 

This story was developed in collaboration with Infinity Lithium, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This story does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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