Primero wins $30m Tawana contract

Aspiring lithium miner Tawana Resources has confirmed the award of a $30 million engineering procurement and construction contract to Primero Group for its Bald Hill project in the Goldfields.

Perth-based Tawana said Primero would build a 1.2 million tonnes per annum dense media separation circuit at the Bald Hill lithium-tantalum mine.

Primero has already been working at the site, after having secured work in May for design and engineering work, along with the ordering of long-lead items for the processing circuit.

Tawana managing director Mark Calderwood said the EPC contract award was a key milestone for the project, which is half-owned by SGX-listed Alliance Mineral Assets.

“We welcome Primero as an important partner of Tawana and AMAL and look forward to updating the market on the progress of the DMS plant,” he said.

“In addition, associated site works and construction has commenced and we remain committed and focused on delivering lithium concentrate during the first quarter of 2018.”

Primero managing director Cameron Henry said the company’s team had been working closely with Tawana from the first testwork, through feasibility and now into project execution phase, providing a complete end to end service.

“The project development schedule for the Bald Hill project remains on track to commence commissioning in the first quarter of 2018,” he said.

About 200 people are expected to be needed during the peak construction period at Bald Hill.

Shares in Tawana were unchanged at 22.5 cents each at 1pm.