TSX-listed Giyani Metals Corporation says its demonstration plant for the processing of material from the K.Hill manganese project is moving into the detailed fit-out phase with all modular process skills having now been installed.

The company has started with cabling and piping work to connect the process modules in preparation for commissioning. The demo plant will be operated by Minopex, which is a subsidiary of consultancy DRA Global.

The demo plant is located in Johannesburg, South Africa, while the K.Hill project is located in Botswana.

The plant is on track for commissioning in the fourth quarter, with earmarked production of 600 kg a day of battery-grade manganese, which will be provided to offtakers for testing and qualification.

Giyani is also advancing metallurgical testwork with a consultancy, CM Solutions, based in Johannesburg, to optimise the flowsheet for processing.

Giyani is undertaking simulating testwork as well, using Yokogawa Distributed Control System software to control the demo plant, which will operate as a continuous process flow rather than a batch basis.

Giyani is focussed on reducing reagent use where possible and has evolved its process to remove hydrofluoric acid. This is an important development, as it eliminates the requirement to store and handle potentially hazardous hydrofluoric acid at both the demo plant and the planned commercial site.

The company says the continuous process flow of the demo plant offers the advantage of the company being able to operate the plant at steady state and producing consistent specification battery-grade manganese.

By demonstrating this ability to potential offtake partners, Giyani can satisfy their requirements for a consistent product specification and production rate.

The demo plant allows Giyani to undertake how the proposed commercial plant, in Botswana, will respond, given that it is a direct copy at a smaller scale of what is planned.

The demo plant will enable further optimisation of the larger plant’s engineering design, which the company will outline in a definitive feasibility study in 2025.

“Successful construction and operation of the demo plant will demonstrate the inherent value of the project to investors. The value of this facility as a tool to optimise our proprietary flowsheet and reduce operating costs is immeasurable and will ultimately advance Giyani’s development as a producer of high-grade manganese for the electric vehicle battery market,” says CEO and president Charles FitzRoy.