TNG Ltd has engaged leading Australian contractor McMahon Services to progress the program of work for the non-process infrastructure requirements of its flagship Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project in the Northern Territory.
The agreement covers both the mine site located 235km north of Alice Springs and the proposed TIVAN processing facility in Darwin.
Management said this infrastructure work will be carried out in parallel with the front-end engineering and design study for the project that is being carried out by German contractor SMS Group.
The infrastructure requirements for the project include haul roads, airfield upgrades, concentrate handling infrastructure, water and power infrastructure, accommodation facilities and concentrate storage facilities.
McMahon will advance the infrastructure planning developed by TNG and finalise detailed scopes of work and scheduling across both sites.
It will then work TNG to develop the tendering documents and implement the strategy and delivery framework for the infrastructure works packages.
TNG Managing Director Paul Burton said: “We are delighted to add McMahon Services – a high calibre Australian contractor with an existing strong footprint in the Northern Territory – to our project development team.”
Mount Peake has an ore reserve of 41.1 million tonnes grading 0.42% vanadium pentoxide, 7.99% titanium dioxide and 28% iron.
Ore from the project will be processed in Darwin using the company’s proprietary TIVAN process to produce 243,000 tonnes of high-purity vanadium pentoxide, 3.5 million tonnes of titanium pigment and 10.6 million tonnes of high-grade iron oxide during the initial 17-year mine life.
TIVAN is a method for treating ore without the need for expensive, energy-intensive roasting to produce a titanium feedstock with low iron content.
By Matt Birney
