Page 12 - AfrElec Week 14 2022
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AfrElec                                   DIESEL GENERATION                                           AfrElec


       Australia’s Triton signs





       power supply deal for





       Mozambique graphite asset






         MOZAMBIQUE       ASX-LISTED  Triton Minerals has signed  energy solution and potentially backed by con-
                          a memorandum of understanding (MoU)  nection to the grid (if required). The solution is
                          with a company that will set up diesel genera-  designed to fit with modular processing plant
                          tors to power the miner’s graphite project in  design.”
                          Mozambique.                            The Ancuabe asset is estimated to have
                            Triton said in a release on Tuesday (April 5)  24.9mn  tonnes  of ore.  It has a  number  of
                          that Himoinsa Southern Africa will construct  offtake agreements including one with Yichang
                          the diesel-powered modular, scalable, cost-effec-  Xinchang Graphite of China that was signed in
                          tive and sustainable power solution for the Anc-  November 2021.
                          uabe project in northern Cabo Delgado region   Graphite investors in Mozambique are
                          on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT)  angling to play a part in the burgeoning electric
                          basis.                              vehicles (EVs) industry. The mineral is used in
                            The agreement, to be aligned with the plant’s  the production of lithium-ion batteries that not
                          finance, construction and operational objectives,  only power EVs but also in mobile phones and
                          covers a small-scale stage one startup operation  portable electronic devices.
                          billed to be operational by the third quarter of   Use of modular plant that was proposed by
                          2023. It also covers stage two expansion to full  Himoinsa is a proven development methodol-
                          capacity. The second phase is likely to start in  ogy, widely used in the mineral resources indus-
                          2025.                               try, ideal for African developments and projects
                            Triton said the power solution for both stages  in the prevailing tight market conditions.  Triton
                          of the mine operations will use either power gen-  added that the BOOT arrangement is ideal in
                          erated onsite through diesel and hybrid solar or  that it reduces initial project funding require-
                          combined with power supply from the local grid.  ments while de-risking the Ancuabe project.
                            “Stage one initial small-scale startup will pro-  “This MoU marks an important step in our
                          vide power for a processing plant with an esti-  commercial pilot plant development at our flag-
                          mated processing capacity range of 100 to 125k  ship Ancuabe project,” said Triton managing
                          tpa of ore, producing 5 to 8 k tpa of graphite  director Andrew Frazer.
                          concentrate under which Himoinsa will supply   “We are very excited to be working with the
                          1.5MW of diesel-powered electrical generation  highly credentialed Himoinsa group. The sup-
                          and potentially a solar/battery hybrid energy  ply of power is crucial to the success of a mining
                          solution,” said Triton.             project and particularly at the early stages of the
                            “Stage two expansion will scale up the sup-  project development, the Himoinsa solutions
                          ply of energy to approximately 5-6MW with the  will provide the Ancuabe project with flexibility
                          addition of both a diesel and solar/battery hybrid  and reliability.”™


























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