In parallel with developing the Balasausqandiq vanadium deposit, the Company is operating a processing plant treating bought-in concentrates. The plant was based on the former pilot plant which was suitably adapted to treat concentrates and has recently undergone the first part of a significant expansion involving the construction of 1,000 square metre expansion and the addition of a new roasting line to recover vanadium loaded onto catalysts from the demetallisation of oil in refineries.
After commissioning of the latest equipment the Company plans to increase output further to 1,500 tonnes of V2O5 per year.
The cash flows from this processing operation will provide a significant proportion of the equity requirement for the development of the first phase of the Company’s own mine and processing facilities, and will enable the Company to finance any debt requirement at lower cost.