Australian project developer Liontown Resources has boosted initial production rates by 20% at its under-construction Kathleen Valley project in the WA Goldfields, aiming to take advantage of lithium’s attractive short and medium-term pricing expectations.
Since commencing construction in Oct 2022, Liontown’s optimisation works have lifted initial plant throughput from 2.5Mtpa to 3Mtpa.
It says the move will deliver additional SC6.0 product early in the project life for spot markets or incremental offtake arrangements. Kathleen Valley’s ultimate capacity remains 4Mtpa.
First production remains on schedule for mid-2024. Liontown says estimated capital cost to first production has risen to $A895M, but talks continue with prospective funding providers on additional financing potentially needed from end-2023.