Q&A: Inside PLS’ Pilgangoora, how lithium ore sorting became a core process

Australia's lithium assemblage is entering a much disciplined phase. After years of accelerated enlargement driven by electrical conveyance request and grounds spodumene prices, producers are present prioritising outgo control, operational stableness and processing ratio alongside output growth. Australia nevertheless remains the world's largest lithium producer, accounting for astir 40% of existent planetary output.

In Western Australia's Pilbara region, PLS Group's Pilgangoora cognition has go a cardinal illustration of that transition. One of the world's largest hard stone lithium deposits, Pilgangoora holds much than 207 cardinal tonnes of reserves and has evolved into a large-scale trial lawsuit for however lithium producers negociate ore variability and processing show successful a much volatile marketplace environment, according to Australia Lithium Mining to 2035, a study by Mining Technology's genitor company, GlobalData.

That improvement accelerated done the P1000 enlargement project, which accrued spodumene ore accumulation capableness astatine Pilgangoora by astir 47% to arsenic overmuch arsenic 1 cardinal tonnes per annum (mtpa) done upgrades to the concentrator and associated infrastructure. The task achieved archetypal ore successful January 2025, with ramp-up completed during the March 4th of 2025.

Alongside higher throughput, P1000 besides marked the deeper integration of sensor-based ore sorting into the operation's halfway processing flowsheet. Rather than functioning arsenic a bolt-on optimisation tool, sorting is progressively being utilized to negociate geological variability, stabilise downstream processing and amended ore consistency astatine scale.

The sorting systems, supplied by TOMRA Mining, were archetypal introduced done the earlier P680 installation earlier being expanded nether P1000. PLS is besides progressing studies for the projected P2000 expansion, which could assistance Pilgangoora's accumulation capableness beyond 2mtpa done the operation of a caller processing plant.

Gavin Rech, method manager/area income astatine TOMRA Mining, has worked intimately connected Pilgangoora's sorting travel from aboriginal deployment done to steady-state operations astatine scale. Speaking with Mining Technology, Rech discusses what the P1000 acquisition reveals astir the changing relation of ore sorting successful hard stone lithium processing and wherefore Pilgangoora is progressively being viewed arsenic a notation constituent for aboriginal lithium flowsheet design.

Alejandro Gonzalez (AG): What does the P1000 enlargement uncover astir the evolving relation of ore sorting successful lithium processing?

Gavin Rech (GR): Large enlargement projects thin to beryllium assessed done a constrictive lens: did the tonnes travel on, did the superior enactment wrong bounds and did ramp-up behave arsenic expected? Those metrics matter, but they don't afloat seizure what P1000 represents.