State-Of-The-Art Mineral Extraction System About To Go On Trial
Parkway Minerals NL (ASX: PWN) reports that pre-commissioning of the recently installed, state-of-the-art, activated Mineral Extraction System (aMES) pilot plant, at Victoria University is underway.
aMES is an innovative process technology that enables the treatment of concentrated brine solutions to recover a range of valuable compounds, reagents and fresh water. The technology utilises a proprietary multi- staged process incorporating novel membrane technology and is based on proprietary IP, incorporating patents, expertise and know-how acquired over more than a decade of intense process development.
Managing Director, Bahay Ozcakmak, said that following the detailed engineering, procurement anf construction phase that formally commenced at the beginning of this year, the new aMES pilot plant, has now successfully achieved mechanical completion.
The aMES pilot plant is currently undergoing a series of pre-commissioning tests, involving standard QA/QC procedures including leak-testing of piping and vessels, testing of rotating equipment, as well as testing of instrumentation, controls and associated process logic.
Following the completion of pre-commissioning tests, the aMES pilot plant will initially undergo a staged start-up procedure to verify key process steps, to further confirm safe and effective operational performance.
The aMES pilot plant, will then undergo formal commissioning as part of a broader process piloting campaign, initially commencing with feedstock in the form of potassium enriched mixed salts, from the Karinga Lakes Potash Project.
Subsequent testwork involving the aMES pilot plant, will include feedstock from third-party projects, providing Parkway Minerals with an important process demonstration, optimisation and validation capability, an essential requirement for successful commercialisation.
“We are delighted to announce, the completion of another key milestone on our aMES commercialisation journey. In addition to showcasing some of our key competencies, the aMES pilot plant provides us with an incredibly powerful capability to demonstrate the performance and advantages of our aMES technology,” Mr Ozcakmak said.
“The aMES pilot plant has been designed with flexibility in mind, allowing us to readily reconfigure the plant, to be able to test a range of process designs (flow sheets), thereby maximising the utility of the pilot plant.
“In parallel to our aMES pilot plant strategy, we’ve also developed powerful process simulation and technoeconomic tools, which enable us to effectively, i) design & simulate an aMES based flow sheet, then ii) pilot the flow sheet at both small and large scale, and then iii) evaluate the financial performance of the conceptual application. From a commercialisation perspective, it is difficult to overstate the importance of this integrated capability.
“Whilst delivery of this project during Covid-19 related lockdowns in Melbourne, presented challenges in terms of the project delivery schedule, I am immensely proud of our engineering team, particularly Raza Hasan, who managed the successful delivery of this important project.
“I’d also like to acknowledge the financial support of the Australian Government, through the Australian Research Council, as well as thank Victoria University for the substantial technical, operational and financial support provided, in relation to achieving this significant milestone.”
Advantages of the aMESTM technology include:
- improvements in mineral recovery and product quality,
- opportunity for substantial project capex & opex savings,
- efficient use of energy and produces pure water as a by-product, and
improved project footprint and environmental sustainability. Ongoing collaboration with a number of brine project developers and operators has confirmed there are many applications where the aMESTM technology has the potential to deliver substantial value by enhancing existing flowsheets, in order to improve overall project performance.
