Australia’s Danakali (ASX: DNK; LSE:DNK) says filtered seawater is a reliable, unlimited and economic option to make use of within the sulphate of potash (SoP) manufacturing course of at its Colluli venture in Eritrea.
The Perth-based miner mentioned it is going to now depend on a mix of seaside properly consumption, smaller pumping station and better renewable power to pump filtered seawater to the processing plant on the Colluli.
Beforehand, Danakali would have wanted to construct a big seawater desalination plant and a pipeline to move water to the plant.
The water consumption therapy space’s (Wita) redesign has a materially smaller onshore and offshore footprint. It additionally requires much less energy, thereby lowering operational expenditure (opex), gas prices and carbon dioxide emissions, Danakali mentioned.
The corporate famous the brand new plan requires much less capital expenditure (capex) and reduces sustaining capex over the life-of-mine (LoM).
“Utilizing filtered seawater as an infinite enter in our manufacturing course of will not be solely a world first, but in addition a long-term sport changer,” govt chairperson Seamus Cornelius mentioned within the assertion.
Testing in 2015 proved that SOP might be constructed from Colluli ore, however solely at greater water charges with Reverse Osmosis recent water.
What was achieved with latest check work with Saskatchewan Analysis Council in 2021 demonstrates that high-quality product solely utilizing seawater is assured, Danakali mentioned.
The innovation provides to the miner’s latest evaluation of the use of both solar and wind energy at Colluli.
For the reason that venture is situated in one of many world’s most geothermally-endowed rifts, the Danakil melancholy within the East African Rift Valley, the corporate mentioned it’s additionally learning the usage of geothermal power with a view to turning into a zero carbon producer of SoP.