Altura to increase lithium offtake shipments

Australian lithium producer Altura Mining is aiming to dispatch at least 16,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt)/month of lithium concentrate from its Pilgangoora project in Western Australia (WA) to its Chinese offtake partners for the remainder of 2019.

With production volumes increasing at its Pilgangoora project in WA, it said it is planning at least two shipments of 8,000dmt each month until the end of the year.

The project produced 29,627dmt of lithium concentrate in the January-March quarter, taking the total to 62,800dmt since production started in the July-September quarter of last year. Commercial production status was declared in mid-March.

Offtake shipments fell to 14,770dmt in the March quarter from 24,419t in the October-December quarter because of delays caused by cyclone activity on Australia's west coast. An 8,000dmt shipment that was meant to be exported in March was delayed until early April.

Altura's Pilgangoora project is ramping up to its output capacity of 220,000 t/yr of lithium concentrate at a grade of around 6pc lithium oxide. It is also considering doubling output through a second stage of the project.