Australian miner Firebird Metals has completed calcining and leaching test work for Taza Metal Technologies, a Kazakhstan-based manganese mining and chemical processing company.
Taza Metal Technologies, aiming to expand its high-purity manganese sulphate production, is considering the procurement of Firebird’s calcining kiln as part of its equipment strategy.
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The test-work is part of the ongoing technical due diligence of Firebird’s energy-efficient calcining kiln, due to be used in Taza Metal’s manganese chemical production.
Taza has covered all costs of the test-work, which also serves to validate the quality of Firebird’s calcining technology.
The test was conducted by Firebird’s Chinese subsidiary, Hunan Firebird Battery Technology. It processed 3.3 tonnes (t) of lower-grade manganese ore from Taza’s mine in Kazakhstan to manganese monoxide (MnO).
The trial achieved an energy reduction, consuming only 230kW/t, compared with more than 400kW/t required by conventional rotary kilns.
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By GlobalDataThis indicates a potential energy usage reduction of more than 70% in a commercial-scale kiln.
Furthermore, the average manganese leaching rate was around 95%, with a residual manganese content of approximately 1.5% in the acid leaching residue.
Firebird managing director Peter Allen said: “This trial work further demonstrates and validates clear industry demand for our innovative calcining kiln. Our kiln delivers energy savings that are crucial to the minerals processing industry – making this product potentially transformative for the market, and for our company.
“Our technical team is continuing to deliver consistent innovation that makes our own processes more efficient, supporting our low-cost LMFP battery cathode strategy, and affords us the opportunity to commercialise revolutionary new technology. Our commitment to efficiency, alongside our high-quality in-country partners, gives us the opportunity to become one of the lowest-cost battery-grade MnSO4 [manganese sulphate] producers, placing us in an incredibly competitive market position going forward.”
Firebird’s calcining kiln, currently under international patent application, is designed to offer superior energy efficiency compared with existing options. The pilot-scale kiln has shown potential to reduce energy usage significantly when processing higher-grade manganese ore.
Compared with the energy demands of conventional kilns, Firebird’s pilot kiln operates at only 80–100 kilowatt-hours per tonne, potentially reducing production costs by approximately $30/t, or around 5%.
The scalable technology of Firebird’s calcining kiln is applicable to various ore types and industries including iron ore beneficiation and lithium sulphate production.
In March this year, Firebird secured a mining lease for its wholly owned Oakover manganese project, situated 85km east of Newman in Western Australia.
