Junior sulfate of potash producer (SOP) Kalium Lakes Ltd., Balcatta, Western Australia, said on Sept. 16 it expects to be Australia’s first producer of SOP, with production ramp-up on track for October 2021.
“The project is coming together as planned, with the excitement growing as we sequentially work through the commissioning process,” said Kalium CEO Rudolph van Niekerk. “Excluding the compaction plant, which is not required for first production of standard grade SOP, the project is now 98 percent complete and ready for imminent start up. Construction activities are beginning to wind down, making way for the commissioning and operations teams to complete the final steps before Kalium Lakes can seize the opportunity to become Australia’s first SOP producer!”
Kalium said the construction of the standard grade SOP plant at the Beyondie SOP Project is substantially complete other than punch list items that are not critical to progressing commissioning. Water commissioning is near completion. The product storage shed and product materials handling infrastructure are near completion.
The company said the construction activities and commissioning activities remain within the capital expenditure budget.
Kalium has a binding 10-year offtake agreement for Beyondie with Germany’s K+S Group for the purchase of up to 90,000 mt/y of SOP.