King River refines HPA production process

King River Resources has delivered several batches of a 5N high-purity precursor compound used to produce 4N high-purity alumina or “HPA” through its innovative and proprietary ARC process. The company plans to become a producer of 4N HPA and has launched a definitive feasibility study into its proposed operation at Kwinana in Western Australia after tabling some stellar numbers in a recent pre-feasibility study.

Through its ARC HPA refining process, King River has developed a simple processing circuit that uses conventional crystallisation and calcination to produce 4N HPA powder that is 99.99 per cent pure aluminium oxide powder.

The company has been conducting metallurgical test work for the definitive feasibility study or “DFS” aiming to fine-tune the precursor product to simplify the final calcination stage of the ARC process.

The precursor is the intermediate compound produced by the purification process which is then calcined to produce 4N HPA.

Management reports that several batches of 5N purity precursor compound, or precursor that is greater than 99.999 per cent pure, have now been generated.

King River is looking to construct a cutting-edge HPA manufacturing plant at Kwinana, south of Perth.

Its ARC HPA processing technology enables the Kwinana plant to potentially obtain its feed from a variety of sources, including from readily available industrial feedstocks or other mineral deposits.

The company recently launched into the DFS following some impressive numbers generated from a pre-feasibility study or “PFS” into the proposed project.

Under the PFS, the plant is estimated to produce 9,000 tonnes of 4N HPA annually over an initial 25-year operation, with a pay-back period of just 2.2 years.

More than $190 million per annum in free cash flow is forecast for the venture with the net present value coming in at $1.04 billion.

In addition, $7.03 billion of revenue and $4.44 billion of free cash flow over the initial 25-year operational period is projected.

King River says metallurgical test work for the DFS is continuing as the company looks to further improve the precursor product for the final calcination stage of the ARC process.

Construction of a mini pilot plant to validate the ARC HPA process on a larger scale is underway.

King River will look to generate market samples from the pilot plant and has commenced a process of generating enquiries and purchase orders from potential vendors.

A rotary tube furnace used in the calcination stage of the ARC process has now been delivered and is currently being tested.

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