Mr. Guy Bourassa reports
NEMASKA LITHIUM WHABOUCHI UPDATED FEASIBILITY STUDY SHOWS A PRE-TAX NPV AT 8% DISCOUNT RATE OF $1.9 B (AFTER-TAX $1.16 B) AND A PRE-TAX IRR OF 37.7% (AFTER-TAX 30.3%)
Nemaska Lithium Inc. has released the results of an update to its May, 2014, feasibility study (2016 updated feasibility study) on the Whabouchi mine and concentrator to be located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory in Quebec and the hydromet plant to be located in Shawinigan, Que. A conference call on the 2016 updated feasibility study will be held on Monday, April 4, 2016, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Conference call details are found at the end of this press release.
"It was necessary to update our feasibility study to reflect the change of location of the hydromet plant from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield to Shawinigan, both in the province of Quebec, and to reflect the optimization of our processes. These improvements will enable Nemaska Lithium to be a low costs producer of lithium hydroxide with a cost per tonne of $2,693 ($2,154 (U.S.) per tonne), while lithium carbonate will have a cost per tonne of $3,441 per tonne ($2,753 (U.S.) per tonne). Our new costs of production for lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate are respectively 22 per cent and 18 per cent lower than our production cost in the 2014 feasibility study. We also took into consideration the current trends in the U.S.-to-Canadian-dollar exchange rate, as well as the forecasted prices of lithium compounds to reflect the reality of price increases in the lithium compounds market. The end result is a 106-per-cent improvement in the pretax net present value (8-per-cent discount) base case, going from $924-million in 2014 to $1.9-billion, and a 49-per-cent improvement in the pretax internal rate of return, increasing to 37.7 per cent from 25.2 per cent in 2014," commented Guy Bourassa, president and chief executive officer of Nemaska Lithium.
The 2016 updated feasibility study encompasses a combined open-pit and underground mine plan, and was prepared by Met-Chem, a division of DRA Americas Inc., and Seneca Inc., with contribution from Dr. Michel L. Bilodeau, Eng, MSc (applied), PhD, for the cash-flow model. The previous mineral reserve declared as part of the 2014 feasibility study with an effective date of May 13, 2014, has not changed.
The 2016 updated feasibility study positively compares with the 2014 feasibility study filed on SEDAR on June 27, 2014, on a number of fronts.
2016 UPDATED FEASIBILITY STUDY HIGHLIGHTS
(all calculations assume a 6-per-cent Li2O spodumene concentrate)
Per-cent difference
2016 updated 2014 feasibility (based on Canadian-
feasibility study study dollar figures)
Expected mine life 26 years 26 years NA
$9.2-billion $6.9 Billion
($7.4-billion (U.S.)) ($6.2-billion (U.S.))
(average of $354- (average of $267-
Life-of-mine revenue million per year million per year 33-per-cent increase
$6.2-billion $3.4-billion
($4.9-billion (U.S.)) ($3.1-billion (U.S.))
Pretax net (average of $260- (average of $151-
undiscounted cash million per year million per year
flow before initial capex) before initial capex) 82-per-cent increase
After-tax
undiscounted cash $3.9-billion $2.3-billion
flow ($3.1-billion (U.S.)) ($2.1-billion (U.S.)) 70-per-cent increase
Pretax NPV 8-per-cent $1.9-billion $924-million
discount (base case) ($1.5-billion (U.S.)) ($831-million (U.S.)) 106-per-cent increase
After-tax NPV 8-per-cent
discount (base $1.16-billion $581-million
case) ($928-million (U.S.)) ($523-million (U.S.)) 100-per-cent increase
Pretax IRR 37.7% 25.2% 49-per-cent increase
After-tax IRR 30.3% 21% 44-per-cent increase
$549-million $500-million
($439-million (U.S.)) ($450-million (U.S.))
Total initial capital in capex, including in capex, including
costs contingency contingency 10-per-cent increase
Payback of capital
costs 2.4 years 3.7 years 35-per-cent decrease
Selling price lithium $9,500 (U.S.) per $8,000 (U.S.) per
hydroxide tonne FOB Shawinigan tonne FOB Valleyfield 19-per-cent increase
Selling price lithium $7,000 (U.S.) per $5,000 (U.S.) per
carbonate tonne FOB Shawinigan tonne FOB Valleyfield 40-per-cent increase
Average cost per $181 per tonne $189 per tonne
tonne spodumene ($145 (U.S.) per tonne) ($170 (U.S.) per tonne)
concentrate FOB Whabouchi mine FOB Whabouchi mine 4-per-cent decrease
Average cost per $2,693 per tonne $3,450 per tonne
tonne lithium ($2,154 (U.S.) per ($3,105 (U.S.) per
hydroxide tonne) FOB Shawinigan tonne) FOB Valleyfield 22-per-cent decrease
Average cost per $3,441 per tonne $4,190 per tonne
tonne lithium ($2,753 (U.S.) per ($3,771 (U.S.) per
carbonate tonne) FOB Shawinigan tonne) FOB Valleyfield 18-per-cent decrease
5.5 million tonnes 5.5 million tonnes
spodumene concentrate spodumene concentrate
converted into converted into
approximately 714,000 approximately 728,000
tonnes battery- tonnes battery-
grade lithium grade lithium
hydroxide and hydroxide and
approximately 84,000 approximately 85,000
tonnes of battery- tonnes of battery-
grade lithium grade lithium
carbonate carbonate
(average per year of (average per year of
approximately 213,000 approximately 213,000
tonnes of tonnes of
concentrate to concentrate to
produce approximately produce approximately
27,500 tonnes of 28,000 tonnes of
lithium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide and
approximately 3,245 approximately 3,250
Life-of-mine tonnes of lithium tonnes of lithium
production carbonate) carbonate) NA
Exchange rate (Canadian
dollar to U.S. dollar) 1:0.8 1:0.9 NA
Mine and hydromet plant plan
The feasibility study outlines a combined open-pit and underground mine. The open-pit mine proven and probable reserves are 20 million tonnes at 1.53 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O). The underground mine proven and probable reserves are 7.3 million tonnes at 1.28 per cent Li2O.
During the first 20 years, production will be derived from an open pit developed to a maximum depth of 190 metres and with an average strip ratio of 2.2:1. The open pit will be mined using a standard fleet of off-road mining trucks and hydraulic excavators at a rate of 2,740 tonnes of ore per day.
During the last six years, production will be derived from an underground operation at 3,342 tonnes per day and accessed via a ramp within the open pit. The underground development will reach an average depth of 90 metres below the pit bottom. The selected underground mining method is long-hole stoping with the crown pillar below the pit recovered at the end of the mine life.
Nemaska Lithium has received the general certificate of authorization (CA) for the Whabouchi mine project from the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the fight against climate change on Sept. 8, 2015, and was granted a positive federal decision on July 29, 2015, and therefore has now obtained all basic environmental authorizations enabling it to move forward with its Whabouchi mine project. The project development schedule assumes that the Shawinigan buildings necessary to install the hydromet plant will be made available to Nemaska Lithium during the first quarter of 2017 and that detailed engineering work for the mine project will have started by the end of the second quarter of 2016. On site, power requirements at the mine are expected to average 6.5 megawatts during operations and will be provided by a 69-kilovolt power line connecting Whabouchi to the nearby Nemiscau hydroelectric power station.
The hydromet plant will be located in Shawinigan, Que. This site has been selected for its excellent existing infrastructure and availability of existing buildings. The site is serviced by the Canadian National Railway Company's railway system and a pool of skilled workers and contractors from Shawinigan and the Mauricie area. The hydromet plant will be state of the art and will use Nemaska Lithium's patented process to convert the spodumene concentrate into the purest lithium hydroxide on the market. Proximity to the Hydro-Quebec network, as the plant will use close to 50 megawatts once in full operation, and access to the natural gas network were also deciding factors.
WHABOUCHI FEASIBILITY STUDY RESULTS AND KEY ASSUMPTIONS
Mining parameters
Tonnes processed (Mt) 27.3
Waste rock and overburden (Mt) 44.3
In situ grade (% Li2O) 1.51
Diluted grade (%) 1.46
Mine life (LOM) (years) 26
Mining cost parameters Preproduction capex ($M) $4.2
$0.048
Hydroelectricity price ($/kW) (H-Q, tariff L)
LOM opex ($/t concentrate) $70.14
Concentrator cost parameters Capex ($M) $235.0
Opex ($/t concentrate) $75.25
G&A opex ($/t concentrate) $35.91
Transport cost ($/t
concentrate) $50.00
Hydromet plant cost parameters
Capex ($M) $310.2
Opex ($/t concentrate) $168.19
Overall sustaining capital LOM capex ($M) $230.1
Revenue parameters (real
terms) Gross revenue ($M over LOM)
Lithium hydroxide (LiOH-H2O) $8,476.3
Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) $738.1
Cash operating margin $6,968.6
Lithium compounds parameters Product (U.S. $ sale price/t)
Lithium hydroxide (LiOH-H2O) $9,500 (U.S.)
Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) $7,000 (U.S.)
$1 to
Exchange rate 80 U.S. cents
Effective date for NPV
Schedule parameters Calculation April 4, 2016
Q3 2016
Construction mobilization (estimated)
Q2 2018
Plant commissioning starts (estimated)
Commercial production Q3 2018
declared (estimated)
Valuation parameters Pretax NPV 8% ($B) $1.88
Pretax IRR 37.7%
After-tax NPV 8% ($B) $1.16
After-tax IRR 30.3%
"Our lithium hydroxide cost is competitive with any supplier of lithium hydroxide today and in the foreseeable future," Mr. Bourassa stated. "Our new flow sheet has been designed to optimize the production of lithium hydroxide, while also producing a high-purity lithium carbonate (99.99 per cent) as a byproduct. Nemaska Lithium's market penetration and growth strategy is to become an important supplier of lithium hydroxide by offering the highest-quality product at competitive prices, while maintaining healthy margins. In tandem, Nemaska plans to grow its target market through converting lithium carbonate users to lithium hydroxide by offering a superior product (lithium hydroxide)."
Market analysis
To complete the update of the feasibility study, Nemaska Lithium commissioned Roskill Consulting Group to complete an independent market analysis report. The report entitled, "Lithium market overview and outlook, February, 2016," predicts that lithium compounds could be in short supply by as early as 2018. The report stated: "With lithium consumption forecast to increase consistently in the years to 2025, the outlook for lithium production and producers is positive from a volume perspective. Mine production capacity in 2015 totalled 262,500 tonnes per year LCE (lithium carbonate equivalent) and refined capacity just over 251,000 tonnes per year LCE, meaning output is capable of meeting consumption only until 2018 based on a maximum utilization rate of 80 per cent. Additional capacity will therefore be required, and is expected to come from both expansion of existing operations and start-up at new lithium projects."
The same report evaluated the growth in demand by lithium product. The report showed growth in demand for battery-grade lithium hydroxide is forecasted to outpace all other lithium compounds over the next 10 years, showing a 15.5 per cent CARG (compound annual rate of growth) from 2015 to 2025. This increase in demand is expected to be reflected in the term contract selling price of battery-grade lithium hydroxide which, according to Roskill, is expected to increase from $8,640 (U.S.) per tonne CIF (cost, insurance and freight) in 2015 to $13,210 (U.S.) per tonne CIF in 2025, representing a 52-per-cent increase in term sales price.
"Lithium hydroxide is emerging as a new chemistry of choice for battery cathode manufacturers because it creates a battery with better power density, longer life cycle and enhanced safety features," said Mr. Bourassa, president and CEO of Nemaska Lithium. "Our decision to directly produce lithium hydroxide, rather than take the traditional route of producing lithium carbonate and then transforming it into hydroxide, gives us a leading cost advantage in the fastest-growing segment of all the lithium compounds."
Conference call
Nemaska will host a conference call on the feasibility study on Monday, April 4, 2016, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. To participate in the call, dial 1-877-223-4471 or 1-647-788-4922, local or internationally. A playback will be made available two hours after completion of the call until May 15, 2016. To access this playback dial 1-800-585-8367 or 1-416-621-4642 with the conference ID code 82875820.
Qualified persons
The complete National Instrument 43-101 technical report being prepared by Met-Chem, a division of DRA Americas, and Seneca, and signed by each qualified person, will be posted on SEDAR within 45 days. It will also be made available on Nemaska Lithium's website. The technical information in this press release has been reviewed by Andre Boilard, Eng, of Met-Chem and a qualified person as defined under in NI 43-101.
The report will include mineral reserve estimates which were prepared respectively for the underground and the open pit by Daniel Gagnon, Eng, and Jeffrey Cassoff, Eng. Both Mr. Gagnon and Mr. Cassoff are independent qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101. The report will consist of summary results from the updated feasibility study. The report is being prepared under the direction of Mr. Boilard, Eng, of Met-Chem, and will be reviewed and certified by individuals responsible for their respective portions of the report. Mr. Boilard and all other individuals providing certifications are independent qualified persons as defined by NI 43 101. Among them are Jean-Philippe Paiement, MSc, PGeo, of SGS Geostat, Raymond Simoneau, Eng, and Denis Carrignan, Eng, from Seneca, Dr. Bilodeau, Eng, MSc (applied), PhD, Tony Boyd of Noram Engineering & Construction Ltd., and Gary Pearse, MSc, PEng, of Equapolar Research.
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