Toronto-based Nevada Zinc Corp. on March 29 announced the successful production of high-grade zinc sulfate monohydrate from its pilot plant project in central Nevada. The company said the pilot plant process can be scaled to the company’s projected production levels using commercially available equipment.
The company’s zinc sulfate production initiative commenced in March 2021, initially as a bench scale test. Continuous production of zinc sulfate monohydrate, a micronutrient fertilizer, has now been achieved from the multi-phase pilot plant project being conducted by Hazen Research Inc. from sample material provided from the company’s Lone Mountain property in Nevada.
Hazen is currently completing an economic evaluation of the pilot plant process in order to generate operating and capital costs for a commercial-scale plant initially capable of processing 500 mt/d of open pit ore from the deposit. A final report including process flow diagrams and the project’s economic evaluation will then be vetted by an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. This vetting process is projected to be completed in April 2023.