Talga Resources (ASX:TLG) progresses Swedish ion battery project

• Battery materials company Talga Resources (TLG) is accelerating progress at its Vittangi Anode Project in Sweden
• Following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has chosen to combine the two initial stages of the project’s development into a single commercial stage
• By altering the development pathway, Talga hopes to fast-track the project to a 19,000-tonne per annum commercial operation 
• The company is currently developing a definitive feasibility study for the project, which is expected in the first quarter of 2021
• Talga shares are up 3.81 per cent to trade for 54.5 cents

Battery materials company Talga Resources (TLG) is accelerating progress at its Vittangi Anode Project in Sweden.

The company is currently building an integrated graphite anode facility in the region, which will produce coated anodes for the lithium-ion battery market. Graphite for the facility will be sourced from the Nunasvaara South flake deposit, near the region of Vittangi.

However, progress at the site has slowed in recent months, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the company is now combining the two initial stages of the project’s development into a unified commercial stage. 

Despite the changes, the company maintains that the project’s financials and logistics will remain largely unaltered from when the two initial stages were first outlined in the earlier pre-feasibility study. 

By fast-tracking the development pathway, Talga hopes to progress the project more directly to a 19,000-tonne per annum commercial operation. As part of the accelerated pathway, construction is expected to begin in 2022, with production expected in the following year.

However, these targeted dates are still dependent on the release of the site’s definitive feasibility study, which is currently in development and is expected in the first quarter of next year. 

As part of the ongoing feasibility work leading up to the study, the company has already significantly improved some aspects of the site’s proposed production. 

This includes increasing to yield and total recovery from graphite concentrate to 99 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. Further, energy use during anode proception has been dropped by 30 per cent. 

Turning to the site’s mining capabilities, Talga has implemented further cost reductions at the mining operation and identified potential resource expansion and underground mining opportunities.

Commenting on these improvements, Talga’s Managing Director Mark Thompson credited the company’s staff members and technical partners for their hard work.

“In spite of COVID-19 disruptions our commercial development remains firmly on track thanks to the ingenuity of the Talga team. The great results of the recent feasibility work show significant benefits to be gained in the short and long term and support the simplified amalgamated development plan,” he said.

Talga shares are up 3.81 per cent to trade for 54.5 cents at 11:38 am AEST.