Fulcrum Metals’ wholly owned subsidiary, Fulcrum EnviroTech, has entered into an agreement with Test Design Implement Solutions (TDI) to set up and operate a stand-alone pilot plant in Ontario, Canada, aimed at processing mine waste using cyanide-free leach technology.
This contract marks an operational step in evaluating precious and critical metals recovery from legacy mine sites.
The pilot facility will use technology developed by Extrakt Process Solutions, which specialises in cyanide-free metal recovery processes.
It will initially process material from Fulcrum’s Teck-Hughes project, while also allowing assessment of other mine waste samples, including those from third-party sources.
Bechtel Energy Technologies & Solutions is providing support for the programme as part of its existing alliance with Extrakt.
According to Fulcrum Metals, the pilot plant is designed to process up to 2.4 tonnes per day (tpd) of material.
The initial phase of operations is set to include around 12 pilot batches over the course of four weeks, using material sourced from Fulcrum’s Teck-Hughes project.
This initiative aims to provide the operational, metallurgical and engineering data needed to move from laboratory-scale experimentation to potential commercial application, supporting the evaluation of future development options.
The company holds exclusive rights to deploy Extrakt’s cyanide-free technology across legacy gold mine waste sites in the Timmins and Kirkland Lake mining districts in Ontario.
These gold camps have together produced more than 110 million ounces of gold over the past 100 years and are estimated to include in excess of 70 legacy waste sites.
Under the contract, TDI will be responsible for supplying, installing, commissioning and running the pilot facility, and will retain ownership of the equipment.
Extrakt will provide non-commercial licensing for its technology and Bechtel will continue its support role.
Fulcrum’s main responsibilities will involve site selection, programme management and operations, with several locations currently under review.
The contract includes equipment lease options to permit continued use for additional testing beyond the initial programme.
Fulcrum Metals CEO Ryan Mee said: “This is a significant milestone for Fulcrum, which creates a pathway to commercialising Teck-Hughes while establishing a platform that is able to support future mine waste recovery opportunities.
“Fulcrum is excited to be working with TDI, Extrakt and Bechtel on this next phase of the project, which represents an important step towards unlocking significant value from historic mine waste assets through a scalable and capital-efficient business model.”
