Tivan Limited (ASX: TVN) has appointed global engineering group Hatch to complete an engineering review for the pre-feasibility study (PFS) of the salt roast processing pathway for the Speewah Vanadium-Titanium-Iron Project in Western Australia.
Tivan is focused on the initial development of a conventional salt roast processing operation at Speewah to produce vanadium oxides and ferrovanadium. The Project will comprise mining, beneficiation and processing operations integrated at the Speewah mine site.
The salt roast pathway is considered the optimal approach to commencing commercialisation of the Speewah resource and vanadium production. Development of the TIVAN+ technology pathway, in collaboration with CSIRO, remains the longer term mission of the company.
Hatch is a global engineering group comprising a network of 10,000 professionals and experience spanning over 150 countries in the metals, energy and infrastructure sectors. Hatch is well known to members of the company’s Technical Advisory Group and Project Team through previous roles and projects. The appointment of Hatch follows a period of extensive due diligence and engagement by Tivan with global engineering firms.
Hatch has extensive experience and expertise in the vanadium sector, having been involved with numerous vanadium projects in South Africa, the Middle East and North America. Flowsheets developed by Hatch include both pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recovery techniques, producing vanadium from a variety of feedstocks including titanomagnetite ore, spent catalysts, boiler/fly ash and steelmaking slag.
The scope of the Hatch engineering review includes:
- Evaluation of the detailed project scoping work completed by Tivan as well as previous engineering studies and testwork reports, addressing areas requiring further supporting detail in preparation for the PFS.
- Preparation of a basis of design for the Project ahead of the PFS, including plant capacity, concentrate specifications (grind size) and waste management requirements.
- Confirmation of the beneficiation and salt roast flowsheet to progress into the PFS, and definition of any PFS level testwork required for beneficiation and salt roast processing.
As part of this work, Hatch will access the globally extensive experience of multiple specialist groups and subject matter experts within its organisation, including minerals processing, pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. The engineering review is anticipated to take two months to complete and is the preferred pathway to the PFS for Speewah.
The workstreams for the Speewah Project, including mining, beneficiation, non-process infrastructure and approvals, are shared with the TIVAN+ pathway, thereby providing extensive synergies and optionality to Tivan over the longer term horizon.
We are delighted to partner with Hatch as Tivan moves deeper into our implementation phase. Hatch is the premier engineering firm in the vanadium sector worldwide, and recognises the unique opportunity that Tivan has with Speewah,” Executive Chairman, Grant Wilson, said.
“Our like-minded teams are excited to commence this important collaboration and to be advancing a project of enduring significance to the energy transition and to Australia.”
