We continue to invest heavily in our planned growth strategy with two active expansion projects which will take nameplate production capacity to 1 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of spodumene concentrate.
Pilbara Minerals’ P680 Expansion Project (P680 Project) is now complete with a ceremony held on 2 August 2024 held to mark the milestone.
The project was delivered on time and on budget and increased the production capacity of the Pilgangoora Operation by approximately 30% to up to 680,000 tonnes per annum.
The new crushing and ore sorting facility delivered as part of the expansion is a significant technical development and represents the next frontier for hard-rock lithium processing. It’s the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and also the largest in the world for lithium processing, with an ore sorting capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes per hour and supports future expansions including the P1000 Project.
The P1000 Expansion Project (P1000 Project) aims to increase total spodumene concentrate production capacity at the Pilgangoora Operation to up to 1Mtpa. The project leverages the earlier investment in processing infrastructure to be delivered as part of the P680 Project.
The P1000 Project involves a series of upgrades to the Pilgan Plant’s concentrator and a range of supporting infrastructure. Once delivered and operational the Pilgangoora Operation will become the second largest producing hard-rock lithium mine in the world. First ore is targeted in the March Quarter 2025 and full production following commissioning and ramp-up at the end of the September Quarter 2025.
First ore is targeted in the March Quarter 2025 and full production following commissioning and ramp-up at the end of the September Quarter 2025.
Following a substantial resource upgrade in 2023 we completed a Pre-Feasibility Study which determined that production capacity at the Company’s 100% owned Pilgangoora Operation could be expanded to more than 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
Such an expansion is expected to result in the first ten years of annual production averaging ~1.9Mtpa, with production of more than 2Mtpa over the first six years after ramp up.
The potential expansion, named the P2000 Project, would further extend Pilbara Minerals’ position as the largest pure play lithium producer globally. The timing of the potential expansion is subject to successful outcomes of the next level of feasibility study, project approvals and the market outlook at the time of the financial investment decision. For more information read the ASX announcement released 21 June 2024.
The Feasibility Study is now underway and due for completion in the December Quarter in calendar year 2025.