Australian innovator Latrobe Magnesium has lined up a major feed source for its proposed 100,000tpa magnesium plant in Victoria through a binding MoU with New Caledonian producer Société Le Nickel to supply 450,000tpa ferro-nickel slag for 20 years.
The PFS by global engineer and project manager Bechtel is due this month on the planned Latrobe Valley plant, which will require feedstock of about 600,000tpa. Latrobe is also holding discussions with potential JV partners.
SLN, a subsidiary of French giant Eramet, is assessing a port expansion that would enable it to ship the full 600,000tpa but Latrobe retains the option to source additional supply elsewhere.