Renascor Enhances Siviour Graphite Plant Design with Engineering Improvements

Graphite

Upgraded Mineral Processing Plant to Boost Graphite Production

Renascor Resources has received early contractor involvement (ECI) submissions from its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors. The competitive ECI process has led to significant engineering enhancements at the Siviour graphite mining and processing operation in South Australia.

The improvements focus on key upgrades to the comminution, flotation, and re-grind circuits, increasing graphite production for size fractions above 150 microns (+100 mesh) by approximately 60%. This shift raises the projected share of these larger fractions from 17% to 27% of total production.

Operating costs are expected to decline due to the elimination of higher-cost reagents and an overall reduction in reagent consumption in the flotation circuit. Additionally, the targeted graphite grade is set to improve to 95.3% carbon, with the recovery rate increasing to 96.7%, surpassing the targets established in the 2023 battery anode material definitive feasibility study (2023 BAM study).

Capital Cost Adjustments and Global Competitiveness

While the mineral processing plant’s capital cost estimate has risen by 4.7%, the overall impact on the pre-production estimate for stage one remains modest. The total pre-production cost has increased by only 2.8%, from $214.5 million outlined in the 2023 BAM study. The cost adjustments are attributed to design enhancements, inflation, and foreign exchange fluctuations.

Renascor managing director David Christensen highlighted the Siviour project’s cost efficiency and global competitiveness. “The competitiveness of Renascor’s BAM project is based in large part on the quality of the Siviour graphite deposit and its potential to offer amongst the lowest operating cost and most capital efficiency of any ex-China graphite project,” Christensen said.

The company is currently reviewing ECI submissions to select a preferred contractor for delivering the mineral processing plant under an executable EPC contract. Renascor is evaluating pricing, construction schedules, commercial delivery models, and contractor incentives before moving forward to the next project phase.